The song of Love
by koukacs
Summary: [AU] Taichi and Yamato never became chosen children. Sora, Mimi, Koushiro, Jyou and Takeru were brought to the Digital World to protect it, but the place has a challenging History of conflict and hatred. The distinct world views of the children clash and they must learn to trust one another and their new partners. A journey of self-discovery unfolds for them. [Arc 3 starts c. 25].
1. Silence in the forest

**Digimon does not belong to me. This idea would not leave my head until I put it down on the paper. This is an alternative version of Digimon Adventure where Yamato and Taichi did not become chosen children. I wanted to play with the clashes of the other five characters and take their development to new directions. Several plot elements will be changed to fit the mood of this fanfic. I'm working to distribute the spotlight in a fair way for each character. However, if I had to point protagonists, those would be Sora and Mimi. I'm looking forward to see these two girls in the center of the action and watch how they form bonds between themselves and the others. And I have very special things reserved for Jyou, Koushiro and Takeru. Comments are appreciated.**

 **I'm receiving the help of QwertysHuman in the editing of this fic. She does an amazing job and I adore all her suggestions. Thank you very much, Darling.**

 **Chapter 1: Silence in the forest**

Devimon was in the core of Infinity Mountain, making the last adjustments to his black gears. He had already placed them all over File Island and was close to putting them to work. He felt a presence behind him and stood up, without turning around to face the intruder.

"Mother waits for you." A feminine voice said.

"Are you not going to greet your brother in a proper manner, Ladydevimon?"

"I don't greet those who are weaker than me." She sneered. Devimon wished he could break her neck but knew he wouldn't be able to kill her.

"What does Mother want? It better not to be about assisting those four against the holy beasts."

"As if Piedmon-sama and the other three would need you for anything." Ladydevimon laughed. "I doubt even think Vamdemon would want you around. Perhaps Etemon needs a new assistant, though."

Devimon finally turned around to face the other. The female digimon did not react to his sudden movement. He could tell that he was not taken seriously in the slightest. Without uttering another word, he let the darkness surround him and take him where he needed to go.

As soon as he arrived there, the loud music invaded his ears:

 _Quando sono solo_

 _Sogno all'orizzonte_

 _E mancan le parole_

 _Si lo so che non c'è luce_

 _In una stanza quando manca il sole_

 _Se non ci sei tu con me, con me_

He was in front of a giant red door in a barely lit corridor. The diabolic being knocked on it once, retrieving his hand before it got burnt. The music that came from the other side was turned down and the cries all around him could be heard once again.

"Bocelli." The voice that came from the other side of the door sounded cheerful. "I really like it."

"With the due respect, Mother, if you summoned me to talk about music-"

"Always so serious, my boy. Just like your older brothers."

Devimon frowned. He deeply disliked when she referred to those digimon as his brothers.

"I called you here, my dear Devimon, to inform you that they have arrived." Her voice was suddenly lower.

"The children?" the other questioned.

"Yes." The Mother confirmed. "Two girls and three boys…"

"If they are on File Island, there are already many dangers that-"

"Have you not finished your gears, my boy?" Her tone became colder.

"Y-yes, I mean, I was just making the final adjustments." Devimon got nervous.

"I completely trust in your talent and hard work." The Mother now had a proud and enthusiastic voice. "You are more than ready. Go there and give them a scare."

"I'll do a lot more than that, Mother." Devimon smiled to himself.

Far from there, Sora opened her eyes and saw the very blue sky above her. She sat up quickly and looked around, realizing she was in the middle of a jungle. There was a big flower next to her. Blinking in confusion, she tried to understand what had happened.

 _I was in the summer camp and it started to snow… and then there was an aurora and a giant wave…_

"Sora!" A childish giggling voice called her. It was someone close by, but the girl could not see the owner of the voice.

"Sora, look at me!" The voice said again. The kid felt something jump in her lap. When she looked down, the girl found the strange flower that had been next to her. But now she realized that the flower had a smiling face.

"I'm so happy for finally meeting you, Sora! I've been waiting for you my whole life!" The flower creature jumped happily. The girl, however, was too shocked to react.

"A flower is talking to me…" She muttered, "… it's a nightmare…"

The small creature frowned after hearing that. Tears formed in its eyes.

"You think I'm a nightmare, Sora?" The flower being began to cry. "Are you not happy to meet me?"

"No, no, don't cry!" The human tried to calm the other down. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I-I'm just confused and thought I was dreaming."

"Oh, it's alright, then." The little one stopped crying, which led Sora to think that she was in front of an easy forgiver. "What are you confused about, Sora?"

"Well, I don't know where I am, how I got here or who you are… or what you are…" The girl examined the other's body and could not understand what it was. It looked like a pink head with small tentacles blossoming into a flower.

"I am Pyokomon, I'm a digimon. This is File Island and you and the others fell from the sky, Sora." The creature explained with a large smile. Unfortunately, that explanation did not help the human child to understand the situation.

"How do you know my name?"

"We've known your names since we were born. The five of us have been waiting for the five of you since ever."

"Five? Do you mean that there are other four people besides me here?" Sora felt relief. It was good to know she was not alone. A noise came from her left and she stood up. From behind a tree a boy she knew stepped into her sight.

"Sora-san!" He exclaimed. "I am so glad; I thought I was alone here."

"Stop speaking nonsense, Koushiro-han." A small digimon with a big face and two little arms, not taller than Pyokomon, appeared next to the boy with red hair. "I'm right here, with you."

"Koushiro-kun, you have a digimon too!" Sora pointed out.

"Yes, that is what Motimon-san said he was."

Sora thought it was funny and out of place for Koushiro to refer to the digimon as "san." On the other hand, she knew that the boy was very polite with everybody in their soccer club, so it shouldn't surprise her.

"Koushiro-han, don't use honorifics with me. You're going to make me mad." Motimon complained, annoyed.

"B-but you are using 'han' with me." The boy contested, embarrassed.

"It's different; it's cute when I say the 'han' but honorifics don't go well with digimon names."

"It really sounds odd to call a digimon using 'san,' don't you think?" Pyokomon asked Sora, who did not want to reply. She did find it strange but the girl did not want to make her kouhai feel inadequate.

"Sorry, if it's bothersome." Koushiro looked down as he said that. "I'll try to drop it."

"Koushiro-kuuun!" A female voice called. A girl in a dress, wearing a big pink hat, ran to where the others were. She was being followed by a tiny green creature with leaves on its head. "Your name is Izumi Koushiro-kun, right? We are in the same classroom, I'm Tachikawa Mimi."

"You are both in the same classroom but you weren't sure about his name?" Sora questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey, it's not my fault." Mimi adopted a defensive tone of voice. "He's not very sociable... sorry, I don't think I've been introduced to you."

"I'm Takenouchi Sora, a 5th grader." The older girl introduced herself. "Koushiro-kun is my kouhai in the soccer club, if you're his classmate, then you're a 4th grader, right?"

"Yes, Sora-san. Nice to meet you." Mimi gave Sora a warm and bright smile. The 5th grader thought that the younger girl was probably kind at heart but sometimes spoke without thinking. Mimi lowered her body and picked the tiny green being up.

"This is Tanemon, she said she would protect me and take care of me." Mimi's smile faded as her eyes accumulated tears. "But she doesn't know how to take me back to Earth."

"Earth?! Do you think we are on a different planet?!" Sora let a laugh escape her lips.

"What did you find funny?" Mimi had a dead serious tone. Sora noticed that the younger girl seemed to be offended.

"Sorry, it's just… well… you really think we were abducted by aliens or something?" The 5th grader wanted to apologize but failed at demonstrating regret for what she had said previously.

"Well, we could have!" Mimi raised her voice slightly. "We are in a different world with talking plants saying that they've been waiting for us, after all."

"Mimi, I already said we are digimon." Tanemon said.

"And I don't look like a plant, Mimi-han." Motimon made an observation.

"Sorry if I hurt your feelings." Mimi apologized to both digimon.

"I believe that's a valid theory." Koushiro commented. "We are surrounded by life forms we had never heard of and the vegetation does not resemble anything we have in Japan. Not to mention that I never heard of an island called 'File' before."

Sora was starting to get annoyed at their insistence in that absurd alien theory. What could she expect from kids? She hoped that the other two people in that place were older.

Suddenly, a small white creature with four legs and long ears rushed to their direction, followed by a little boy with blond hair and blue eyes.

"Tokomon, don't run away." The little boy scolded the digimon, picking it up and hugging it against his chest. When the small child realized he had found other people, he beamed with happiness. "You were there with my brother and me, when the lights appeared at the sky! Is my big brother with you?"

"I don't remember ever seeing you in our school." Mimi said.

"That's because I don't live in Odaiba." The boy explained. "I live in Kawada with my Mom. My brother and my Dad live in Odaiba and I was invited to the summer camp so I could spend time with Onii-chan."

"So your parents are divorced?" Koushiro inquired, curious. Sora gave him a disapproving look to let him know that he had been indelicate. The redhead blushed and looked down.

"They… are…" The little boy had a sad look on his face. "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Takaishi Takeru, second grader, pleased to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too, Takeru-kun." Sora complimented him, showing a friendly smile. "I am Takenouchi Sora, a 5th grader. Those are Izumi Koushiro-kun and Tachikawa Mimi-chan, 4th graders."

"I'm Pyokomon."

"I'm Motimon, nice to meet you."

"You can call me Tanemon."

"I'm Tokomon, Takeru's partner." The white digimon with long ears greeted the others. "Pukamon and his partner are not here yet?"

"That's right, there's yet another person that was brought to this place." Sora recalled her conversation with Pyokomon.

"Maybe it is Taichi-san, he was the one who called us to see the aurora." Koushiro suggested.

"It has to be Onii-chan!" Takeru hoped. Sora felt bad for the boy. Although she wished along with Koushiro that the fifth person was her childhood friend, she felt that Takeru would feel safer if he was with someone he knew and trusted, like his older brother.

When a desperate cry was heard coming in their direction, their expectations were crushed.

"Jyou-sempai?!" Sora exclaimed, a bit disappointed, as the blue-haired sixth grader ran toward her and the others, hysterically.

"IT'S A GHOST! IT'S HUNTING ME!" Jyou screamed. A floating brown creature with what looked like fins was following him.

"Jyou-san? Oh, I remember now, he was our group leader in the camp." Koushiro commented. "It is fortunate that he came too."

"You haven't spent a lot of time with Jyou-san, have you?" Mimi giggled.

"Jyou-sempai! It's alright, you're not being hunted by a ghost." Sora tried to calm the older boy down. "It's a digimon, each of us has one too!"

Jyou blinked and looked around, trembling at the sight of the other creatures.

"Are they demons?" Jyou asked, frightened. "Are they punishing me for coming to the camp instead of staying home and dedicating myself to my studies?"

"No, they're aliens." Mimi said.

"Enough with the alien theory already, please." Sora sighed.

"Are you fonder of the demon theory, Sora-san?" Mimi inquired sheepishly.

The ground was violently shaken and the children fell to their knees.

"Now there's an earthquake?!" Jyou was getting more stressed.

Koushiro pointed to something above them.

"Look at those things coming from the mountain!"

 _The mountain? Is there a mountain here?_ Sora wondered, looking at the direction the boy with red hair had indicated. There was a huge and solitary mountain that could probably be seen in the entire island. Its peak was releasing black things that quickly covered the sky. One of the objects fell close to where they were. It was a big black gear.

"Why are there gears coming out of the mountain?" Takeru questioned, visibly scared.

"I don't know but we should find shelter, if we're hit by one of those things we'll die." Jyou had urgency in his voice.

"Everybody, follow me!" Motimon shouted. He led the children and their partners to a tree and passed through it.

"Is that a hologram? Or is it only intangible at certain points?" Koushiro asked to no one in particular.

"WORRY ABOUT THAT LATER, GET INTO THE TREE!" Jyou pushed him inside and jumped along. Soon, everybody was in the tree. The sound of large metallic objects hitting the ground at full force was disturbing. Takeru began to cry in fear so Sora hugged him.

"We're safe here, Takeru-kun, don't worry."

The girl looked around and noticed that everybody seemed to be afraid. She felt that she had the responsibility to comfort them.

"Whatever is happening is going to pass soon. No need to worry."

"It's gear rain! This isn't normal." Jyou was muttering to himself.

"I want to wake up. I want this to end." Mimi cried.

Koushiro was just staring at the wall without saying anything. His eyes were wide open.

"Guys, we're going to be okay. This tree is shielding us." Sora attempted to cheer them up. _Maybe if I can make them think about something else_ , she thought. "Uhm, Jyou-sempai, what's your favorite subject in school?"

Jyou first looked at Sora as if he thought she was crazy, but then he seemed to understand what she was trying to do. He took a deep breath and forced a smile. "I like to study everything. There's nothing more enjoyable than homework."

The other children stared at Jyou.

"There are not adults around, you can answer that honestly." Mimi taunted.

"I'm always honest, Mimi-kun!" Jyou got offended. "Are you saying that you don't like to study?"

"Most people don't find that an enjoyable activity." Mimi replied. "I mean, when one thinks about fun, it got to be about hanging out with friends, shopping or watching old shows with your Dad."

"Ugh, I shouldn't be surprised." Jyou had a severe look. "Honestly, you should become more responsible, Mimi-kun."

The comment annoyed Mimi.

"I'm a good student. I have excellent grades."

"Are you in top of your class? That's something you should work forward if you intend to go to a good high school and then a good college." Jyou had a proud and malicious grin.

"Koushiro-kun is in my class, how is anyone else supposed to be at the top?" Mimi acted as if she was commenting the obvious.

"That's not an excuse, I bet Koushiro-kun works very hard to be at top of the class!" Jyou turned to Koushiro. "How many hours per day do you study?"

The redhead did not seem comfortable to be brought into the conversation.

"Uhm… do you mean how many hours I study school subjects?" Koushiro questioned, cautiously.

"Yes, how many hours?"

Koushiro had an awkward expression and Sora wondered if he would run away if there was not a deadly rain outside.

"I review the subjects the night before the tests…" Koushiro's voice was almost inaudible.

Jyou's face became very pale and he did not speak anything.

"Jyou, are you alright?" Pukamon tried to make his partner react.

"Jyou-sempai, are you feeling ill?" Sora was concerned.

"I'm not hearing anything outside any longer…" Koushiro said, looking away. "Maybe I should take a look-"

"You don't study?!" Jyou finally found the words.

"I learn fast… I don't feel the need to review things many times."

"You don't study?! B-but you are always on the computer!"

"I like to learn new things, so I spend more time researching them than reviewing what I already know…"

"YOU ARE AT THE TOP OF YOUR CLASS AND YOU DON'T STUDY?!" Jyou lifted his arms above his head in a sign of disbelief. "Good grades should be the result of hard work! You are telling me that you get them with no effort?! You can fool around every day and just study at the last minute and you still manage to get better results than dedicated students?"

"I'm sorry." Koushiro frowned. He took a step back.

"Don't apologize, Koushiro-kun!" Mimi was now angrier than before. "You didn't do anything wrong. Jyou-san doesn't get to tell us what to do with our time!"

"Jyou-sempai, don't you think you are overreacting?" Sora scolded the older boy.

"What?! Do you think this is fair?" Jyou was not willing to back down. "This is so wrong! It's unjust! He should be ashamed of himself!"

"I'm going to check outside." Koushiro muttered, passing through the tree wall along with Motimon. Mimi and Tanemon followed him immediately. Sora let go of Takeru and went to Jyou, furious.

"Seriously, Jyou-sempai? Did you really have to do that?"

"I was just expressing my opinion!"

"You and I are the oldest ones in this group; we should be taking care of them, not bullying them!"

"I was trying to help! I was giving valid advice so they could grow to become responsible adults."

Jyou's behavior reminded Sora of a certain adult she had in her life and that displeased her immensely. Takeru, who had been quiet the whole time, decided to speak:

"Excuse me, shouldn't we go after Mimi-san and Koushiro-san?"

"I can't hear anything outside. It's probably safe to go." Sora took Takeru's hand gently and went outside with him. Takeru was holding Tokomon and Sora held Pyokomon with one arm.

Alone with Pukamon, Jyou started to feel the weight of his own words.

"Why did I say those things? This was not the time to do that."

"If you apologize, it'll be okay." Pukamon tried to cheer the boy up.

"I think you're right."

Jyou and Pukamon left the tree and found a desolated place. There were many trees down and black gears on the ground. A few steps away, the other children were approaching a giant red stag beetle lying on the grass. Many gears were stuck on its back and the big insect made an agonizing noise.

"We should do something to help, it's suffering!" Mimi sounded as if she was about to cry.

"It's a Kuwagamon, Mimi-han. It's known to be a violent digimon, we shouldn't approach it." Motimon alerted.

"It's in pain…" Takeru said, upset. "Can't we do something, Sora-san?"

"I don't think we can heal its wounds, Takeru-kun." Sora wished she could console him and Mimi somehow.

Jyou approached the enormous digimon and tried to peek on its back. He believed that, in the current situation, the right thing to do would be to give a merciful death to the Kuwagamon. But the boy knew that if he suggested such a thing, the group would isolate him even more. He needed to make amends and earn their trust. And he also needed to put that living being out of its misery.

"There is something we could try," Jyou spoke, looking at the insect as he put all his effort in sounding convincing. "If we take out the gears and cauterize the wounds with fire, the Kuwagamon might stand a chance."

"Do you want to burn it?" Mimi asked, horrified.

"It could work." Koushiro said. But there was something off in his voice. It did not have the usual glee present when he talked about things he found interesting. His voice was morbid, deprived of sentiment.

Sora was not sure about that idea. However, there was not time to discuss it. The stag beetle rose itself from the ground and threatened the children with its giant scissors.

"It's going to attack, everybody go back to the tree!" Pyokomon screamed. All the digimon jumped to the front and attacked Kuwagamon with bubbles. The insect advanced and almost smashed Tanemon and Motimon with one of its legs.

"Why is it attacking us? We want to help!" Mimi was confused.

"It's a hurt animal, Mimi-chan. It's probably terrified of us." Sora explained.

"To me it looks angry." Jyou disagreed.

"It's breathing with difficulty, it'll collapse soon." Koushiro informed.

"Tokomon!" Takeru called his partner. "Come back here, it's dangerous."

"We can easily outrun it, there's no need to fight!" Sora observed.

"But, Sora-san…" Mimi was going to protest.

"I'm sorry, Mimi-chan. We need to put our safety first now!" Sora apologized. Nevertheless, she knew that the most important thing was to protect everybody. "Pyokomon, you and the others have to come with us!"

"We have to protect you, Sora." Pyokomon stated.

"There's no need for it!" The older girl was losing her patience. "We can run!"

"It's not just your bodies that we have to protect." Motimon affirmed.

"There is something more precious. Something you already realized, Mimi." Tanemon told her partner.

"Kuwagamon is a violent digimon and yet, when you saw him in pain, you wanted to help him. We will do that, Takeru." Tokomon promised.

"Pukamon…" Jyou pleaded. His digimon smiled confidently at him.

"Don't worry, Jyou. We'll succeed." Pukamon assured.

The five little digimon stood in front of Kuwagamon, who tried to trap them in its scissors.

"Kuwagamon might be slow and weaker but it still overpowers all of you!" Koushiro had desperation in his voice now.

The five digimon jumped in Kuwagamon's direction when it was ready to attack.

"TANEMON!" Mimi cried.

"TOKOMON!" Takeru shouted.

"MOTIMON!" Koushiro screamed.

"PUKAMON, NO!" Jyou begged.

The sight of the flower digimon approaching the scissors of the stag beetle made Sora's heart ache. Without thinking, she took a step forward and called for the digimon.

"PYOKOMOOOOON!"

Bright white light enveloped the digimon and they changed their forms.

Pyokomon now looked like a pink bird.

Motimon resembled a ladybug.

Pukamon's appearance reminded the one of a seal.

Tanemon had become a big plant with a flower at the top of the head.

Tokomon was now flying, using his ears as wings. His body was slightly bigger, covered in orange and white fur.

Their combined attacks were fast. Those who used to be Pyokomon, Motimon and Tokomon flew above Kuwagamon and attacked the black gears with spiral fire, electricity and air bubbles. The one that was Tanemon immobilized Kuwagamon with the ivy that came from her hands. And that who used to be Pukamon made Kuwagamon lose the balance and fall to the ground.

As soon as that happened, particles broke off its body.

"We were not able to save him." The pink bird lamented.

"Sorry." The plant digimon uttered.

Four of the children stood in their spots in silence. Mimi walked to the dying Kuwagamon and put her hands on one of the scissors.

"We're sorry that we couldn't save you. But now you won't feel pain or fear. And we won't leave you alone."

Kuwagamon turned completely into particles that were carried away by the wind.

Mimi did not stop the tears from running down her face.

Jyou covered his mouth with one hand and stared at the ground.

Takeru went to where the flying orange digimon was and hugged him.

Koushiro observed the point where Kuwagamon had been. He felt his eyes becoming more humid and his hands trembled.

Sora closed her eyes and gulped. She thought about what she could do but no idea came to her aid. She wished to find the words that would make the others feel better, but they remained lost. It was Pyokomon, now a bird, who broke the silence:

"I know a Pyokomon village not too far away. They could give us food and shelter."

"Let's go there, then." Sora decided.

The five chosen children and the five digimon walked through the desolation.

They had begun a life-changing adventure.


	2. Sora's stand

**Thank you for the reviews!**

 **Here we have chapter two. It's majorly focused on Sora and her inner struggle as she is confronted by a reality that forces her to think about her family problems. Can she keep her cool or will her insecurities strain her relationship with her digimon partner? Also, Sora's parents are not divorced but her father is mostly absent due to him working in Kyoto. I'm not sure if they were still married or not in the original anime (but this is a canon divergence, so it's okay).**

 **As always, reviews are appreciated. :)**

 **Chapter 2: Sora's stand**

"Finally we can rest!" Mimi celebrated, sitting on a fallen tree trunk.

"We rested less than an hour ago." Jyou retorted, panting. "It will be troublesome if we stop every time you get tired, Mimi-kun."

"I'm not going to take advice from someone who didn't even apologize properly." Mimi pouted.

"Hey, I did apologize to both you and Koushiro-kun!" Jyou defended himself.

"You apologized for yelling but you didn't acknowledge that it was wrong of you to tell us what to do with our time!" Mimi explained. A vein could be seen in her forehead.

"Why should I apologize for giving solid advice?" Jyou made a rhetorical question. "You should thank me for worrying about your future."

 _How long are those two going to keep arguing?_ Sora wondered. She was getting more tired at every second. _Jyou-sempai is supposed to be in charge because he's the older one, and yet he's the most immature person here._

Sora was leaning against a tree that had not been torn down by the gear rain. The sun was going to set in less than an hour and the Pyokomon Village did not seem to be getting closer.

The girl looked at the bird digimon at her side that was now named Piyomon. She and the other digimon had explained that they all had evolved and, because of that, they had new names. Pyokomon became Piyomon, Motimon became Tentomon, Tanemon became Palmon, Tokomon became Patamon and Pukamon became Gomamon. They said they were digital monsters. Sora wanted to ask some questions but was interrupted by Jyou, who started a tantrum about how evolution was a process that takes hundreds of years and could not possibly happen in a couple of seconds. Sora was getting tired of Jyou finding new things to complain about. He was sounding an awful lot like an adult.

"Anyway, we're getting out of topic." Jyou sighed. "If we continue to stop and rest any time you want, it'll get dark before we reach the Pyokomon Village!"

"Aren't you being harsh, Jyou? I mean, you seem to be way more tired than her." Gomamon pointed out.

Jyou blushed furiously, adjusted his glasses and tripped on his words:

"I-I-I was j-just worried about the group's morale!"

"I thought you were just trying to look cool." Gomamon chuckled. Sora smirked and heard some laughs around her. She looked at Takeru, a few steps in front of her, and saw him laughing along. That warmed her heart.

Takeru sat on a tree truck across from Mimi's, Patamon was on his lap. Jyou sat next to Takeru; his face was still red, and Gomamon lay close to the sixth grader's feet. Koushiro sat on a rock by himself and Tentomon sat on the grass nearby it. Palmon was on the tree trunk, by Mimi's side.

Sora walked to Mimi's trunk and sat next to her. The 5th grader smiled as she observed Takeru. The little boy did not look as scared as before.

"Children are pretty tough." Mimi told Sora in a serene voice. "You don't need to over worry about Takeru-kun."

"He's still a kid." Sora murmured, frowning. "A little kid whose family is torn apart and who doesn't have anyone he can talk to."

"Takeru-kun has us all. He's not alone." Mimi was trying to make Sora feel less gloomy but it wasn't working. The older girl was lost in her thoughts and, from her expression, they were not happy ones. The fourth grader had noticed already that Sora was a serious person who worried a lot about others but now she wondered if there was more to that than just empathy.

"Pukamon!" Jyou's voice caught the attention of the girls. The older boy was trying to force his partner out of the big bag he had been carrying. "We already ate part of the rations an hour ago, we must save them!"

The white seal took his face out of the bag as he swallowed a big portion of food.

"I'm not Pukamon anymore. I'm Gomamon now!"

"Right. I forgot you changed your name." Jyou muttered.

"Does that mean that those are species names?" Koushiro asked Tentomon.

"I don't know what species are." Tentomon replied. "But there are more than one digimon of each kind in the world."

"Like the Pyokomon from the village we're going to." Piyomon added cheerfully. The bird digimon jumped on Sora and hugged the girl tightly. The human felt discomfort from the uncalled demonstration of affection. She did not understand why Piyomon was so clingy. "They'll be so surprised when they see we have evolved."

"I wonder if we're going to find adults in that village." Jyou wondered in loud voice.

"I don't think our chances of finding other human beings in this place are very high." Koushiro commented. "Perhaps that aurora opened a gate to a different dimension where the digimon are the dominant living forms. I do wonder, though, why they call themselves 'digital.' The name implies non organic life but Tentomon and the others don't seem to be mechanical or electronic."

"If you want electricity, I can give it to you." Tentomon said jokingly, letting a few electrical sparks fly.

"Even if I were to believe in that, it doesn't mean there aren't adults here. I mean, aside from humans, digimon have parents, right?" Jyou questioned.

"Parents?" Palmon sounded confused.

"What are parents, Sora?" Piyomon asked.

Sora stayed still. Memories flashed before her eyes: her mother spending most of her time on flower arrangements and telling Sora about the importance of her heritage; her father being absent most of the time, showing up a few times each year and telling the little girl that he loved her and she should obey her mother while he was out. And yet those brief moments he spent with his family were the only moments when Sora saw her mother smiling happily.

The older girl's attention was captured by Koushiro's voice. The boy had apparently made the decision to answer Piyomon's question, probably due to Sora's silence.

"Parents are very kind people who love you and take care of you." Koushiro said with a sparkle in his eyes. Nevertheless, Sora noticed a subtle tremor in his lips as he smiled.

 _Kind people who love you…_ those words resounded bitterly in the 5th grader's mind.

"They work very hard to buy you things like food and clothes. " Takeru added. "And my Mom reads books for me sometimes."

"My parents encourage me to express myself and do what makes me happy." Mimi said, cheerfully. "We watch old movies and TV shows and have a great time together."

"Parents are biologically linked to you." Jyou informed didactically. "They teach you the right values and expect you to honor your lineage and your ancestors."

"Jyou, I didn't understand half of the words you just said." Gomamon made a sheepish comment which embarrassed his partner. Everybody laughed, except for two people.

Koushiro's smile vanished from his face after Jyou spoke the first sentence. The boy's melancholic eyes were not focusing on any specific spot.

Sora had the feeling that something had squeezed her heart. Mimi's and Jyou's remarks hit her like sharp swords.

Jyou stood for things that could make Sora shriek in horror. And he talked about those things with so much pride in his voice that he made the girl feel sick. How could he not be bothered by that? How could the notion that his reason to exist was to fulfill the roles that other people determined for him satisfy the boy? However, in spite of Sora's strong rejection of the 6th grader's world view, she could not stop the envy from filling her heart. Jyou should be such a happy person. He should make his parents so proud. What parent would not love a child with rebellion aversion?

Mimi's words, on the other hand, provoked a more visceral sentiment in Sora. The smaller girl had stated that her parents encouraged her to express herself and that they wanted her to do things that made her happy. Mimi did not have to live with the constant reminder that the soccer practice she enjoyed so much was a waste of time and that she should be dedicating herself to Ikebana. Mimi did not know what it was to be told every day that she should be more feminine. That she should behave in the way that was expected from her.

To be delicate, to be gracious, to be like a flower.

Sora felt that she could start crying right then and there. But she would not allow it.

Out of nowhere, a flower of the size of a soccer ball was thrown in the space between the tree trucks. The flower had not blossomed yet; its purple petals were still closed.

"A dream flower!" Piyomon exclaimed, surprised.

"Why does it have that name?" Mimi questioned. "Is it because it's pretty?"

"No. It's because when the petals open a sleep gas is released." Piyomon replied.

The flower petals opened and liberated a lilac gas that rapidly covered the area. Sora tried to cover her mouth but it was in vain. The last thing she saw before collapsing was the silhouettes of several small plant digimon.

When the older girl woke up, she found above her a metallic ceiling. Sora sat up and looked around. Piyomon was attached to her arm. The other children and digimon were also sitting on the floor, close by.

The floor was made of metal too and had a thin layer of dust covering it. Behind them, there was a cold wall. In front of them and occupying most of the large room there were more than 100 Pyokomon. The only illumination came from a big bonfire lit on a counter at the other side, in a distance of 15 meters from where the children were. The only entrance and exit Sora found was a fissure on the right lateral wall, which was being blocked with rubble. There was a flight of stairs a few meters on their left that led to an opening on the ceiling.

"What happened?" Sora asked Koushiro, wondering how long after everyone else she had woken up.

"For what I understood, the Pyokomon kidnapped us and brought us to a ship half buried in the sand. But they have not really told us anything." Koushiro replied.

"12-sama, they are all up now!" One of the Pyokomon closer to the children shouted.

"Oi, did she just call someone '12?'" Jyou whispered to Gomamon.

"They are all Pyokomon, it would be confusing if they called each other 'Pyokomon.'" Gomamon explained it as if it was obvious.

"But why numbers?" Mimi asked. "Why don't they use normal names?"

"There's an old popular story about a digimon called Zero. I think that probably inspired the idea." Tentomon informed.

The Pyokomon in front of the children started to move around in order to give space for another Pyokomon, who was jumping towards the kids. She stopped one foot away from them and took a long look at Piyomon.

"123?" She asked.

"I'm Piyomon now, 12. No need to call me 123 anymore." Piyomon replied joyfully.

"So these other four are your companions? You all evolved." 12 murmured, sounding intrigued. "And what are those pale creatures with you?"

"They are our human partners." Piyomon replied happily, pulling Sora close. "This is Sora, she gave me the power to evolve! And she's so intelligent and responsible and I love her so much!"

Sora felt something cold in her guts. She had an urge to let go of Piyomon but was being firmly held. _What is she saying? How can she say something like that?_

Sora's annoyance was unnoticed thanks to the repercussions of her partner's statement.

"The human beings can give us the power to evolve?" Someone in the crowd asked.

"See? I told you that if we brought them here they'd show us how to evolve!" Another voice said.

"Wait a second!" Sora shouted, standing up and letting go of her partner by force. Every pair of eyes in the room stared at her. "We don't have any power to make digimon evolve, this is madness!"

"That's not true, Sora!" Piyomon opposed the human's statement. "I felt your energy inside me! Your heart gave me power!"

"Ridiculous." Sora felt as cold sweat covered her face. The bird digimon's eyes were locked on hers. They seemed so honest but they could not be. Those words had to be false. "My heart can't possibly do that."

"Why don't you believe me?" Piyomon's voice sounded hurt. "Do you think I would lie to you?"

"Why wouldn't you?!" Sora inquired bitterly. Her eyes felt like they would burn from the inside at any moment. Her mind raced back to the times when her father visited her: the days when her mother was so happy that she even left aside her precious flowers, so happy that she even complimented Sora and told her she was beloved; and the days after his departure, when the woman barely talked to the little girl and got irritated when Sora distracted her from the Ikebana. "People I've known my entire life have done that! Why wouldn't someone I met a couple of hours ago do it too?"

Piyomon's blue eyes got very wide and wet. She flew to the opening on the ceiling and disappeared. The girl felt nothing, as if someone had forced her heart open and emptied it completely. Sora sunk back to where she had been sitting and hugged her knees, facing down. She could tell everybody was looking at her but did not care. They had better not say anything about her being too harsh to Piyomon. That had been the digimon's fault. Because she was being so mushy and was saying those thoughtless things! Who could possibly love Sora right after meeting her? What could the bird possibly know about the girl? How could she say that Sora's heart gave her the strength to grow and become more powerful? Those things could not be true. Piyomon was either a liar or a delusional digimon.

"Mimi-san." Takeru called the fourth grader girl in a concerned whisper. "Shouldn't we do something?"

Mimi felt lost and did not know what to reply. She would never expect Sora to act that way towards Piyomon. The older girl seemed to be so patient and mature, why would she lash out at someone who was only saying wonderful things about her?

"So…" Jyou turned to 12; probably trying to dissolve the awkward atmosphere. "Why did you bring us to this ship and not the village?"

"There's no village anymore." 12 answered darkly. Everyone, even Sora, stared at the leader of the Pyokomon with surprise. "Earlier this day, Meramon destroyed our houses and ordered us to leave his land before the moon appeared in the sky tonight."

"Meramon?" Palmon gasped in shock.

"That can't be right! It must be a mistake!" Patamon added, astonished.

"Who is Meramon?" Koushiro questioned Tentomon.

"He has been the protector of the Pyokomon village since before we were born. He always seemed to be so kind and loving." The insect digimon replied, letting his confusion manifest in his voice.

"Meramon is an adult level digimon with a body made of fire." Gomamon pointed out. "He could have killed everybody if he wanted to."

 _Adult?_ The word echoed in Sora's mind.

"It is possible that this was a misunderstanding. Maybe Meramon had an unknown reason to-" Mimi started to say but was cut off by Sora.

"Don't you dare defend the guy!" The older girl spoke with rage.

"S-Sora-san?" Mimi stuttered, nervously. Sora stood up again, trembling in anger.

"This Meramon is an adult, right? He was supposed to take care of the Pyokomon and acted all nice for a while but the moment he didn't feel like doing it anymore…" Sora felt she was about to cry but stopped the tears. "He turned against those who loved him and scared them to the point to kidnap strangers for help. Meramon is horrible… _they're_ horrible"

"Why are you still in this place?" Jyou asked the Pyokomon. "The flame digimon told you to leave, right? Why haven't you run away yet?"

"This is their home, Jyou-san." Takeru spoke softly. "They don't want to leave their home behind."

"But their village was burned down! They should be glad that everybody is safe and go to a place where they can live in peace!" Jyou protested.

"Not everybody is safe." 12 lamented. A sad murmur spread across the room.

"Meramon…" Koushiro muttered to himself. Comprehension filled his eyes. "They have not given up on Meramon."

"He always took care of us." One of the Pyokomon stated in a crying voice.

"We don't even know what is wrong! It was too sudden of a transformation!" Another added.

"We can't leave before understanding what happened. That's why we brought you here." 12 explained. "You may be child level digimon but you are stronger than us. We ask… we beg your help to immobilize Meramon so we can talk to him."

"THIS IS RIDICULOUS!" Jyou shouted. "YOU BROUGHT US HERE BY FORCE AND NOW YOU ASK US TO RISK OUR LIVES SO YOU CAN CHAT TO THE DIGIMON WHO ATTACKED YOU?"

"But if they don't talk to Meramon they'll never know what caused the change!" Mimi took the side of 12.

"The Pyokomon would live their lives believing that the one they loved so much hated them when we don't know for sure if that is true." Takeru supported Mimi.

"It is meaningless to try to talk to Meramon, he doesn't care about you! He hurt you and he'll do that again if you let him!" Sora told the Pyokomon, angrily.

"The logical thing to do would be to run but…" Koushiro had an evasive tone of voice and did not seem to be talking to anyone in particular. His half closed eyes apparently reflected sorrow or doubt.

"But what?" Sora questioned, irritated.

Koushiro looked up startled. He had not realized that he was saying those things aloud. An anguished and embarrassed expression crossed his face and he stayed silent for a few seconds. Then, he gave in and finished his sentence in low voice:

"If the adult who was once so kind as to take care of you, despite lacking any obligation to do so, suddenly has a change of heart and attacks you with no reason… if such a thing could be easily acceptable or even expected, the world would be a horrible place."

Sora, Mimi and Jyou froze after Koushiro said that. It was completely out of character for the younger boy to talk about his worldview. None of the three children had ever heard the kid with red hair speak about his feelings at all. While they were left dumbstruck, Takeru smiled at the 4th grader and said:

"I think the same way."

Koushiro's face became completely red and he turned around. Then, he asked the Pyokomon a question. His voice made it clear to the others that he was embarrassed.

"D-did something unusual happen before Meramon's attack?"

"Some black gears fell from the sky. They didn't cause a lot of damage in the village, though." One of the Pyokomon replied.

"The same gears that hurt that Kuwagamon! Perhaps there's a connection between the events!" Mimi suggested.

"Do you mean that Meramon could have been hit by a gear and turned evil?" Takeru asked.

"We don't know what the gears are made of." Jyou pondered. "Let's say that there's a substance in its manufacture that could lead to a psychotic-"

"Stop it!" Sora interrupted. "What are you doing? Why do you keep making excuses for him?"

"We are trying to understand the situation, Sora-san!" Mimi was starting to get annoyed with the older girl.

"What is there to understand? Meramon attacked the Pyokomon! He hurt them! What other proof do you need to accept that he's just horrible and doesn't deserve a second chance?"

"Sora-san, you don't even know Meramon." Takeru pointed out.

"I don't need to know! They are all the same!" Sora was shaking. "You can't just forgive them! You should know that, Takeru-kun!"

"Then Piyomon shouldn't forgive you either!" Mimi shouted. She had lost her patience with Sora. The 5th grader, who was consumed by anger until that moment, turned to Mimi in absolute shock.

"What are you… talking about?" It was like Sora had difficulty in organizing her thoughts. "What does Piyomon have to do with this?"

"Sora-san, you told Piyomon horrible things!" Mimi could not believe that Sora was unaware of what she had done. "She flew away crying and you didn't even go after her!"

"I made Piyomon cry?" A horrified expression took over Sora's face. "No, that's not right! We were arguing… she started everything!"

"All that Piyomon did was praise you! She was so proud of you, so happy to have known you! And you stepped on her feelings and called her a liar, Sora-san! How could you?" Mimi was shaking and a couple of tears fell from her eyes. "How could you be so cruel to her?"

 _Cruel? I was cruel?_ A wave of panic made Sora jump. _But I can't… I can't! That's not what I wanted to be!_

A conversation with her mother from when Sora was still a small girl showed up vividly in her memory. She could almost see her mother's back while she worked on her flower arrangement.

" _Mom, when will Dad come back again?"_

 _Silence._

" _Mom, I already miss Dad."_

 _Silence._

" _Why does he have to work in another city? Why can't he be with us?"_

" _Be quiet, Sora!" The woman replied, coldly. Her usual firm hands were trembling. "You are upsetting the flowers."_

Sora ran to the stairs and climbed them quickly. Mimi smiled brightly at this action but Sora did not notice it. The only thing in her mind was Piyomon.

The girl came to a dark corridor. She could not see anything.

"Piyomon?" The 5th grader called. "Are you there, Piyomon? I'm sorry!"

The digimon did not reply and Sora became increasingly afraid. _She hates me now. I made Piyomon hate me! I'm so awful!_

"I'm so sorry Piyomon." The girl kneeled on the dark corridor. "I wasn't really angry at you. I was angry because of something else and I just dumped everything on you. I didn't want to call you a liar. You must've been so confused… so scared."

" _Don't go, Dad."_ Sora remembered telling that to her father on one of his departures. _"Mom gets so sad when you leave."_

" _I need to return to my work, Sora-chan. But your Mom will be fine. You'll be here with her."_

" _She doesn't like me!"_

" _She loves you, Sora. Just as much as I do. She might not be very good at expressing that but if you're patient-"_

" _No, she doesn't like me! She just cares about you and the flowers!"_

" _That's not true, Sora!"_

" _Stop lying to me!"_

"I'm such an idiot!" Sora sobbed. Big tears washed her face. "I'm so stupid! And now you know that… and you hate me. Of course you hate me! How could you not? I always mess everything up! I wanted to be different but I'm just like them! I'm just as terrible as them!"

Sora felt a gentle hug wrap her. The soft feathers dried her tears.

"I thought you hated me, Sora." Piyomon was crying too. "It made me so sad."

"I'm so sorry, Piyomon. I don't hate you. Of course I don't hate you!" Sora apologized, crying more.

"It's okay, Sora." Piyomon's voice had regained part of its usual joy. "I'm glad to hear that. I still love you. I'm going to love you and protect you forever."

"Why?" Sora asked in confusion. "I hurt you, Piyomon! I was cruel! I acted like the kind of person I-"

"I've already forgiven you."

"BUT YOU SHOULDN'T! After what I did I don't deserve-"

"Sora, please listen to me." Piyomon asked. Sora bit her lips and listened to what the digimon had to say. "You made a mistake. I don't think it was your first or it will be your last. And I'm sure that I'm going to make mistakes too. But it's okay. As long as we acknowledge them and apologize, it's okay to make mistakes. You're not less of a good person because of it and neither are you less deserving of love."

Sora's arms had been down the whole time. But at that moment, she lifted them, slowly. And she carefully put them around Piyomon's body. At that moment, she thought she could feel her friend's heartbeat. Piyomon genuinely loved her and was not driven away by her true self. That was the first time anyone had shown affection to Sora in such an open and honest way. A demonstration of love that could no longer be denied nor refused by the girl.

"Thank you, Piyomon."

A big explosion was heard below and the ship was shaken so violently that Sora would have fallen into the entrance of the second floor if Piyomon had not grabbed her arm. The two of them began to descend the stairs and saw what had caused the explosion. A huge man made of fire had destroyed a big part of the ship's hull in front of them. It was night outside and the full moon was visible.

"Meramon, why are you doing this?" 12 jumped to the front and inquired. "We deserve an explanation!"

Meramon formed a fire ball in his left hand and threw it in her direction. Luckily, Palmon used her ivy to take 12 out of danger in time.

"We can't possibly hold that thing down!" Jyou screamed. "We must escape!"

"We can't run away without Sora-san and Piyomon!" Mimi contested.

"Mimi-chan! Guys!" Sora called, running to them with Piyomon flying by her side. "I'm sorry."

"It's good to see that the two of you made amends." Mimi said, cheerfully. "That's all that matters."

"We have more urgent issues right now; care to talk about that later?" Jyou cut them off.

Sora walked in Meramon's direction and stopped a few feet away from him. Piyomon followed her.

"What is she doing? It's dangerous!" Koushiro voiced his concern.

"Why are you doing this, Meramon?" Sora inquired. "Don't you realize that you're hurting and scaring the Pyokomon? Don't you know how much they care about you?"

"I'll burn you all!" Meramon threatened as he formed more fire balls in his hands. "You'll all turn to dust!"

"Sora-kun, get out of there!" Jyou pleaded.

"Sora-san!" Takeru cried.

"I won't let you do any harm to anyone in this place!" Sora had ferocity in her voice. "As long as I'm here, no adult is going to mistreat children."

"Nonsense!" Meramon laughed, getting ready to attack. "What can you do against me by yourself?"

"I'm not by myself." Sora declared and a smile appeared on her lips. Piyomon, who was behind her, flew and hovered in front of Sora.

Bright white light came out of an object stuck in Sora's belt: one of the little machines that had fallen on the camp before the tide took them to File Island. A machine whose importance they had not figured out yet. The light wrapped Piyomon.

"Piyomon evolves to… BIRDRAMON!"

A giant and majestic orange flame bird appeared where Piyomon had been a few seconds before. Birdramon pushed Meramon outside and they initiated an intense combat. His fire balls did not affect the huge flying creature a lot. On the other hand, when she shot fire meteors from her large wings on Meramon's chest, a black gear was expelled from his back and destroyed.

Meramon's size decreased and he fell to the ground.

"What happened?" He asked, confused and horrified. "What was I doing?"

Birdramon returned to her previous form and flew to Sora's arms. The girl hugged her tightly and twirled happily.

"You were incredible, Piyomon!" She said, beaming.

"You were incredible too, Sora!" Piyomon replied.

"These machines…" Koushiro began to talk, picking up the device that was stuck in his computer backpack. "Five of them fell from the sky and we were brought to this place. And now, when Piyomon evolved, the one with Sora-san shone."

"Did all of them shine when the digimon evolved the first time?" Mimi wondered.

"I don't remember." Jyou sighed.

"So these machines make the digimon evolve?" Takeru asked, curious.

"No." Piyomon denied. "They might have some influence but I know what made me evolve."

She looked at Sora, who gave her a warm smile.

"Yeah." The girl agreed. That time she really could feel the power inside her. And she knew she had been the force that pushed Piyomon forward, just like the digimon had done for her.

12 jumped towards Meramon.

"Will you explain now?" She inquired. The flame digimon bowed and touched the ground with his forehead.

"I am so deeply sorry. The last thing I remember was feeling a piercing pain in my back. And then it was like I had been filled with rage. I couldn't control myself." His voice was overflowing with sorrow. "I caused so much damage… I could've killed you all…"

"We want to forgive you." 12 said. "But for you to earn our trust again it will take time and effort."

"Of course. I wouldn't accept any less." Meramon agreed.

"You could start by getting us something to eat. We lost all of our seeds during your first attack." One of the Pyokomon suggested.

"YES!" Mimi shouted, excited. "I can't stand to eat emergency rations anymore!"

"Mimi-kun, don't be so ungrateful!" Jyou complained. "To think that I've been carrying this heavy bag around and you… wait! I just remembered! You were the one supposed to carry the bag!"

"What?" Mimi pretended she did not know what the boy was talking about. "I'm already carrying my own bag!"

"According to the camp's rules it's your turn!" Jyou accused.

"Okay." Mimi gave in. "I'll carry the heavy bag once we return to the camp."

"CARRY IT NOW!" Jyou screamed in frustration.

"They're fighting again." Takeru lamented.

"It's okay, Takeru-kun. There's no need to worry about them." Sora consoled the boy.

"I don't like it when people fight." Takeru murmured, looking away. The older girl remembered that Takeru's parents had divorced and deduced that his trauma probably derived from that. She felt guilty imagining what must have passed through his mind when she argued with Piyomon. However, the 5th grader knew that she had to make him feel better.

"It's true that fights are not pleasant and that during them people you care about get hurt. But there are times when it's important to have arguments."

"Why?" Takeru asked.

"Disagreements force us to open our hearts. Because of that they have the power to make us get closer to each other and understand each other better." Sora said, glancing at Piyomon. "And that's a good thing."

Koushiro listened to their conversation but did not make any commentary. He looked up to the moon, lost in thoughts. The voices around him seemed to become less loud.

Meramon brought many fruits to the Pyokomon that night; the children and their digimon had a good feast too. Sora and the others spent the night in the ship and rested well. The next morning, they decided to part.

"There's plenty of room for you. You can stay for how long you desire." 12 told the children.

"Thank you. But we need to find a way home." Sora said, smiling.

"And thank you for giving us so many fruits!" Jyou added, trying to lift the bag that was now a lot heavier than before. Mimi grabbed the bag from below and helped Jyou to put the strap over his shoulder.

"We can take turns carrying it." Mimi suggested, blushing. "When you get tired I can take over."

"Thank you so much, Mimi-kun!" Jyou was so happy to hear what Mimi had said that small tears of joy appeared in his eyes. Takeru and Sora beamed at each other.

The children and the five digimon walked in the direction of the rising sun. To Sora's eyes, File Island seemed to have become brighter.


	3. Mimi's strength

Thank you for the reviews. In this chapter, I took even more liberties than before. Although it's Mimi's first evolution story, I worked with the other children and their inner ghosts as well. I also made Monzaemon to be actual evil and turned the toy town into a toy hotel… for the sake of liking stories in creepy hotels. I hope you enjoy reading the chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.

 **Chapter 3: Mimi's strength**

The children and their partners walked all morning, taking turns in carrying Jyou's bag. When it got to Mimi's turn, most of the fruits had already been eaten and the bag was not as heavy as it had been. Nevertheless, the younger girl quickly tired.

"Enough! Please, let's rest." Mimi demanded, sitting on the grass.

"It hasn't even been ten minutes, Mimi-kun!" Jyou reprehended her. "Seriously, you need to become tougher."

"Don't worry, Mimi. Soon you'll have thick and strong legs like mine and you won't get tired so easily." Palmon tried to cheer her friend up, blissfully unaware that Mimi didn't want thick, root-shaped legs.

Sora, who had been carrying the other girl's bag while Mimi carried Jyou's, came closer to Mimi and told her:

"Your bag is quite heavy too, Mimi-chan. Didn't it bother you to carry it?"

"I don't mind carrying my own stuff." Mimi replied. "Although most of it is camp things I took from my Dad without asking."

"Wait, what kind of camp things?" Jyou was curious.

"Flashlights, matches, fuel for the bonfire, a compass…" Mimi was listing, stopping when she noticed everybody's shocked faces.

"Fuel? You've been carrying fuel this whole time? You were carrying fuel when we faced a monster made of fire?!" Jyou panicked. His face was completely pale.

"Now that you mention it, it was kind of dangerous." Mimi acknowledged it.

"I think those things are going to be useful to us," said Sora, trying to focus on the positive.

"Mimi-san is very well prepared to deal with dangerous situations!" Takeru said with enthusiasm.

"That's true." Koushiro muttered.

"Stop encouraging her! It was incredibly irresponsible to bring those things to a camp! Does Mimi-kun even understand how many rules she broke?" Jyou was getting angry. "Not to mention that she took her father's property without permission! I'm going to have to confiscate that bag."

"No way! If you want to carry a bag, carry yours!" Mimi shouted, throwing Jyou's bag back to him.

"Honestly, Mimi-kun, your childish behavior only further proves my point!" Jyou stated, putting his bag's strap over his shoulder.

Mimi felt hurt by the older boy's words. However, she would not allow anyone to humiliate her.

"Don't talk as if you're such an adult, you're just two years older than me!"

"It's not even about my age! You are the most immature person I ever met!" Jyou retorted.

Big tears formed in the girl's eyes. She felt her face get hot and ran away from the group. The fourth grader could hear Sora's concerned voice calling her back. But Mimi kept running.

 _Why is Jyou-san so cruel?_ The young girl could not understand. She was ten years old and was lost with other kids in a strange land full of monsters. There was nothing that could have prepared her for that situation and instead of receiving support, Mimi was being criticized for things that were not her fault at all! Why should she change herself to please Jyou? If he considered himself so mature and responsible, he should be the one putting effort in making the others feel safe!

Mimi only wished to go back to her world. She wanted to drink a cold soft drink, to have a good bath, to have a satisfying meal and rest in a comfortable bed without worrying about long walks and heavy bags! If only she had those things she would be completely happy!

"Good morning, Miss!" A male voice spoke. Mimi wiped her tears and saw a soldier toy about her size in front of her. Behind it, there was a huge building with a plate saying HOTEL at its front.

"A toy… and a hotel?" Mimi asked in confusion.

"Mimi-chan!" Sora's voice was getting closer. The fourth grader turned around and saw the others running in her direction. The older girl was breathless but managed to scold Mimi: "Don't run by yourself! It's dangerous!"

"Mimi, you left even me behind!" Palmon had a crying voice that broke her partner's heart.

"I'm sorry, Palmon. It's just that Jyou-san made me so mad that I-"

"What is this place?" Koushiro interrupted, getting closer to the soldier toy.

"This is the great Toy Hotel! The happiest place in existence!" The soldier announced, cheerfully. "Welcome and please accept our hospitality."

"What?" Sora found the place suspicious.

"What do you mean by Toy Hotel? Are you a digimon?" Jyou shared Sora's concern.

"The only digimon in this Hotel is Monzaemon-sama. He rescues toys from the human world and gives them life!" The soldier replied.

"D-do you mean that this Monzaemon knows how to go to the human world? Can he show us the way?" Jyou got excited.

"I believe our Master can help you. We can arrange a meeting with him, and you can enjoy our services while you wait." The toy informed.

"Do you mean that we can stay in the hotel for free?" Mimi inquired with shining eyes.

"You'll have access to the most luxurious bedrooms, the finest entertainment and the most delicious food you ever encountered in your life. And you can stay here for how long you want." The toy informed. "All you have to do is enjoy yourselves."

"YES!" Mimi exclaimed, rushing into the hotel with Palmon. Jyou and Takeru entered right after her, along with their partners. Sora hesitated but decided to follow them with Piyomon. Koushiro stayed behind with Tentomon.

"We should have been able to see a huge building like this from where we were." Koushiro commented.

"I never heard of a Toy Hotel before." Tentomon informed.

"The pure melody of Mimi-sama's heart guided her here." The toy soldier did not sound cheerful anymore. In fact, it seemed to be annoyed.

"What do you mean?" Koushiro asked.

"I can't explain beauty to the likes of you." The soldier said in a disapproving tone.

The boy with red hair felt something cold going down his spine but paid no attention to it. He passed by the soldier and crossed the big wooden doors.

The hall was huge and had a water fountain in its center. The high ceiling was decorated with several small lamps that formed the drawing of a flower. To the right, through glass doors, a sophisticated dining room could be seen. To the left, there was a pool surrounded by beach chairs and colorful parasols. Behind the fountain, there were two elevators and a corridor at their left.

"This is like one of those super expensive hotels you see in television!" Mimi was in awe, trying to absorb all the information around her.

"Have you ever been in a place like this, Mimi?" Palmon asked.

"No. But I've always wanted to visit one!" The girl exclaimed. "It's like my dreams came true!"

"Hey, Jyou-sempai." Sora whispered to the older boy. "Is it just me or does this place give off a creepy vibe?"

"It's strange that we happened to run into a luxurious hotel where we can stay for free." Jyou agreed. "But it's our first clue to go back home. We can't let this chance slip from our hands."

"I guess you're right." Sora sighed. "And it's a good opportunity for the others to have some fun, I suppose."

"Let's take a look at the pool, Patamon!" Takeru yelled happily, running to the pool's direction with Patamon flying behind him.

"I want to go to the pool too!" Gomamon announced, following them.

"Hold on, you three! You can't go without supervision!" Jyou scolded them, running to the pool too.

"Hello!" Three human size porcelain dolls in maid's outfits came from the dinner room and greeted the children and digimon who had remained in the hall. They had pale skin and blue eyes. Their hair was covered by a cap and they talked at the same time. "If you desire, we can show you the baths, the bedrooms, the game centers, the laundry rooms or any other location you'd like to visit."

"A BATH! CLEAN CLOTHES! COLD SOFT DRINKS!" Mimi shouted in bliss.

"Your wishes are our command, Mimi-sama." One of the dolls said.

"We'll do everything for your happiness, Mimi-sama." Another doll added.

"How do you know her name? Why are you so interested in Mimi-chan?" Sora was getting more suspicious.

"All toys have telepathic powers. That is how we were able to answer to Mimi-sama's call." The third doll replied.

"The melody of Mimi-sama's heart is pure and beautiful and we'll do everything to bring her joy." The first doll complemented.

The second doll pressed a button next to the right elevator and its doors opened.

"If you follow me, I'll take you anywhere."

"I'd like a bath first! Let's go, Palmon!" Mimi grabbed her digimon by the arm and ran into the elevator.

"Mimi-chan, wait for me!" Sora yelled, rushing to the elevator accompanied by Piyomon.

Koushiro and Tentomon were left alone in the hall with the remaining two dolls. The toys blinked and approached the boy.

"Now, what to do?" One of the dolls said in a cold tone, examining Koushiro. "This noise is unacceptable."

"We can't leave him like this." The other added, with a sinister voice that contrasted with the amicable tone used with Mimi.

"I-I'm good, you don't need to worry about me." The boy tried to decline their help. The dolls took another step in his direction and suddenly stopped. They turned their heads to the right and trembled. Koushiro and Tentomon looked at that direction too and saw a clown doll with blue hair and white and blue clothes. There was a water drop painted under each of its eyes and its mouth was not smiling.

"Why is Mr. Raindrop here? He never shows up!" One of the dolls murmured to the other.

"Not since he smashed all the car toys! We must let Master know right away!" The other stated. The two dolls ran to the left elevator and pressed its button with urgency, rushing into the cabin as soon as the door opened.

"That clown toy looks super creepy, don't you think?" Tentomon asked his partner, shivering. Koushiro could not take his eyes off the doll. The boy was intrigued rather than afraid.

"Excuse me-" The fourth grader was cut off by one of the ceiling lamps exploding, which made him and Tentomon turn their attention to above. When they looked down again, the clown toy had disappeared.

In the pool area, Jyou found Gomamon swimming gleefully. Takeru was sitting on a bench with Patamon in front of the counter of a small circular bar next to the pool. In the bar, a stuffed monkey and a stuffed penguin were serving a big milkshake to Takeru and a glass of sundae to Patamon.

"An ice cream bar?" Jyou asked with interest, sitting next to the younger boy.

"They said they could recreate my favorite flavors!" The blond kid spoke enthusiastically, drinking through the straw. "I asked vanilla and strawberry milkshake for me and chocolate sundae for Patamon!"

"It's delicious! I never ate anything like this before!" Patamon was talking with his mouth full.

"My big brothers used to take me for ice cream when I was younger." Jyou felt nostalgic. "I liked the cones better than the ice cream itself."

"Here you have it." The monkey offered a cone to the 6th grader.

"Please, fill it with ice cream. It's wrong to eat the cone alone." The older boy did not find that funny.

"Jyou-san, do you live with your brothers?" Takeru questioned shyly.

"I used to, before they went to university. It was the three of us and our parents." Jyou replied.

"That must've been nice." Takeru commented. The 6th grader could see a sad smile on his face. Jyou felt guilty for making the smaller boy upset and tried to fix it.

"It wasn't really that good, you know?" The older kid forced an annoyed tone. "My brothers were always slacking off but somehow they got good grades in everything. And they were somewhat rebellious and irritated our parents… I do everything Dad and Mom say but have to put extra effort just to be at the same academic level as my brothers. And even today it feels like I'm invisible in that house."

Takeru and Patamon stared at Jyou in silence. Even Gomamon stopped swimming. As if feeling the others' eyes on him, the older boy tried to change the mood.

"Anyway, my point is that it must not be so bad that your parents are divorced and your big brother lives far away from you. At least your Mom gives you all her attention and you don't agonize over thinking that you may not live up to the expectations your family has on you. I mean, you're not from a traditional medical family or anything, right?"

Jyou had truly believed that those words would make Takeru feel better about his own life. But what he saw in the little boy's face was anger.

"Are you trying to tell me that I shouldn't be upset about my family being split apart? Do you think it's silly of me to be sad over it?" The second grader asked in an anguished tone.

"What?" Jyou was confused. "No, no! I was trying to show you that your situation isn't so bad! You see, sometimes your family can bring you down so if your family becomes smaller-"

"I wouldn't mind if my family brought me down sometimes or if my parents demanded a lot from me! And I would never trash talk my brother because of his personality!" Takeru yelled.

"I wasn't trash talking anyone! I was just trying to be empathetic!" Jyou had an apologetic tone.

"You're so ungrateful, Jyou-san!" Takeru had now stood up. "Why does someone like you get to live with your whole family? You don't even like them!"

"What do you think you know about me?" Takeru's accusation had angered Jyou. "You don't know how much easier my life would be if I could just not care about them!"

Jyou stood up and walked away, in the garden's direction. Takeru ran towards a playground a little far away. Gomamon left the pool and was about to follow Jyou, and Patamon was going after his partner but something stopped them.

The stuffed toys announced in a loud voice that lacked emotion:

"There's disharmony in those children's melodies. They need fixing!"

The air became colder suddenly. Patamon fell to the ground, paralyzed. Gomamon could not move either.

"What is happening?" The aquatic digimon asked angrily. "Are you doing this? Why are you trying to keep us away from our partners?"

"What was that 'fixing' talk? What are you going to do to Takeru?" Patamon was anxious and fearful.

"Do not worry. They'll become better soon." The penguin assured in an amicable tone.

"Monzaemon-sama will surely make them happy." The monkey stated.

Jyou was walking among plants that were higher than him. He felt cold and tired and sat down on the grass.

 _What is wrong with me? Just once in my life I wish I could actually help someone. Why can't I phrase things right? I just make everybody upset! I'm supposed to be in charge but I keep letting everybody down!_

"You disappoint me, Jyou!" A male voice that the boy knew too well spoke. Jyou turned his head to the right and his heart skipped a beat. His father was standing there, wearing his Hospital outfit. The man had his usual severe expression.

"Father?" The 6th grader's voice was almost inaudible. "How can you be here?"

"I knew it was not a good idea for you to come to the camp. I shouldn't have listened to your brothers and your mother!" The man had a disapproving tone of voice. "To think in the precious time you could use to study! What are you even doing, fooling around here?"

"It's not my fault! I was brought to this place without consenting to it!" Jyou tried to defend himself. "I-I'm trying my best! I'm trying to take care of the younger children! Please, understand!"

"You're not even capable of taking care of yourself, Jyou. Who would ever depend on you for anything?"

"I'm doing my hardest…" Jyou felt like crying, covering his face with his hands. "I'm putting all my effort… all my energy…"

"It's alright." The father's voice became softer. Jyou felt the man's gentle touch on his left shoulder. "It's not your fault that all your effort and energy are not enough. There are people in the world who are just destined to be failures."

Jyou lifted his head, confused. _Why is he telling me these things? My father never…_

"You don't want to feel like this anymore, right?" The man put his other hand on Jyou's chest. "Just say 'yes' and I'll take away all of your anxiety. And I promise I'll turn you into a happy person."

Jyou did not understand what was happening but the aching pain in his heart was getting worse. It was getting harder for him to breathe, his head felt like it was boiling and the temperature around him was dropping quickly. He just wanted relief. He wanted to feel better.

"Yes." The boy said. He felt something piercing his heart and passed out.

Takeru sat on a swing by himself. There was an empty one at his right. The little boy wept for many minutes and felt very lonely.

 _I shouldn't have talked to Jyou-san like that. I didn't even consider his feelings. He probably hates me now._

"Takeru!" A familiar voice called him. The second grader looked at his right and saw his older brother sat on the other swing, smiling.

"Onii-chan…" The little boy was now crying of happiness. "You're here, Onii-chan!"

Takeru jumped from his swing and ran to his brother, hugging him tightly and hiding his face on the other's shirt.

"I missed you so much!" The smaller kid cried. "I never stopped thinking about you!"

"Takeru, I thought I would never see you again." The other child murmured. "What a disgrace to find you here."

Takeru felt his insides freeze. He slowly looked up and was horrified to see a disgusted expression on his brother's face.

"Onii-chan…?"

"Dad and Mom only began to argue after you were born. You were always so irritating. Always crying, always needy and clingy! You broke my family apart."

"Why are you talking to me like that?" Big tears fell from the eyes of the confused and heartbroken little kid. "You never told me those things! You were always so caring, so sweet-"

"There's nobody around, I don't have to pretend to like you anymore." The older one spoke with indifference. "I feel bad for Mom in that aspect. She has to put up with you every day, it must be a nightmare! And then she forced me to take care of you in that stupid summer camp."

"Stop! Please, stop saying that!" Takeru fell to his knees, closing his eyes. His entire body was shaking. _Stop! Stop! I don't want to listen to this! Please, stop!_

"Do you wish not to feel this pain anymore, Takeru?" The big brother asked with a sweet smile on the lips. "If you say 'yes' I can make you feel great. I can make you happier than you ever thought possible."

"What?" Takeru asked in confusion. His brother held him by the wrists.

"You just have to say 'yes' and I'll give you peace. Otherwise I'll keep talking about how you ruined my life and how much I hate you for that."

 _No! I can't take more of this!_

"YES!" Takeru cried. "YES!"

Everything turned dark and a piercing pain took over the small child's heart.

Mimi, Sora, Piyomon and Palmon had a long hot bath with bubbles in a bathtub of the size of a pool. After that, they returned to the bedroom the porcelain doll had showed them. Their clothes had been washed and dried and were folded over each girl's king size bed. Over Mimi's bed, Sora had left her bag without saying anything. There were no windows in the room but a chandelier illuminated the place. After they dressed up, Mimi took a look at the shelf under the huge television on the wall across the beds.

"Sora-san, they have Star Wars here!" The younger girl said, radiant. The 5th grader was taking two bottles of soda from the mini-bar between the beds.

"I didn't expect you to like Star Wars, Mimi-chan." Sora smirked.

"What is a Star War?" Palmon asked.

"I think it's when two stars fight." Piyomon guessed.

"Star Wars is a movie trilogy. It's about a girl named Princess Leia, who saves a galaxy far away with the help of her long lost twin brother and her boyfriend. My parents and I watch them all the time." Mimi said enthusiastically. However, soon the smile on her face faded. What were her parents doing now? Were they worried? Would she see them again?

Noticing Mimi's expression, Sora wanted to make her smile once more.

"So, do you like Princess Leia? I never watched those movies."

Mimi was surprised to hear that.

"You have to watch them, Sora-san! Princess Leia is the coolest character ever! She's so beautiful and brave and she is always thinking about the greater good! She's my childhood hero!" Mimi regained her excitement. The older girl thought, relieved, that it was easy to make the 4th grader happy.

"You know, Sora-san, you remind me of Princess Leia." Mimi commented, gleefully. "You are always taking care of us and yesterday you looked so cool and heroic standing up against the Meramon! This place we were brought to is scary but with you around I feel safe."

The younger girl expected the other to thank her for the compliments. When no feedback came, she turned her face to Sora and saw the pained and perplexed expression the older girl had.

"W-what's the matter?" Mimi questioned, alarmed. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No. There's nothing wrong, don't worry." Sora tried to dismiss it, faking a smile. However, her pale and sweaty face and her shaking hands denounced her real emotional state.

"I thought the praises would make you happy. Isn't that what they're supposed to do?" Mimi was getting more anxious. "I'm sorry if I did it wrong, Sora-san."

"Mimi-chan!" Sora spoke with an assuring voice and gently held the other girl by the shoulders. "You are a very sweet girl. You were so happy talking about the movies you like, I'm sorry if I upset you. But I want you to know that you did nothing wrong. You don't need to stress yourself."

Mimi nodded. She still thought she had made the older girl sad but would not discuss it. She knew that Sora wanted to protect her and she trusted her judgment. Mimi was not mature or responsible like the other. She could not understand Sora's feelings and it was presumptuous of her to think she could. The wisest thing for Mimi to do was to let Sora be and not bother her again.

"I'm going to check on the boys, you can stay here. I'll be right back." Sora said, forcing a smile. Piyomon stayed in her spot but after a few seconds went after her partner. She would not find her, though.

Mimi sat on the bed and Palmon joined her.

"Do you want to talk, Mimi?"

"I'm such a kid. Sora-san must think that I can't handle difficult things and she's right," Mimi confessed, sad. "She must think I'm so annoying and obnoxious and yet she not only puts up with me but also tries to protect me. She must think like Jyou-san but is too kind to tell me the truth!"

"You're not like that, Mimi!" Palmon protested. "You are a strong person and don't need to be taken care by someone else! And I think you understand other people's feelings very well!"

"Do you really think that, Palmon?"

"Yes! You are as valuable to the group as the others. And I admire your sincerity and strong personality."

"You're a good friend, Palmon. Thank you." Mimi smiled. Nevertheless, there was still doubt in her heart. But the girl did not want to dwell on depression any longer.

"Get comfy, Palmon. We're going to watch Star Wars episode IV: A New Hope." She announced, picking the remote control from over the mini-bar.

"Why are we going to start by episode IV?" The plant digimon was confused.

"I'll explain later." Mimi smirked.

Sora was walking down the corridor and noticed that the lights had started to flick. A creepy whisper saying "dreadful noise. Silence it!" sent chills down her spine. The girl had the impression that she was very far from her room in spite of walking only a couple of minutes. She felt something hitting her feet and, when she looked down, found a soccer ball.

"Nice catch, Sora." The energetic boyish voice almost made the girl jump in surprise. A few meters down the corridor, her childhood friend Taichi beamed at her.

"You came to this place too, Taichi?" She inquired, incredulous.

"I wouldn't be a good friend if I left you alone to take care of everybody." Taichi giggled.

"It's so hard, Taichi." Sora opened her heart. "I was just talking to Mimi-chan and she looks up to me. She thinks all these amazing things about me, and I know it should make me happy that I make her feel safe… but I feel like I'm deceiving her. And I can't stop thinking about the day when she'll see the real me. I know I'm going to let her down and it breaks my heart."

Sora wiped the few tears from her eyes. She did not know why she was telling Taichi all those things. He probably would not understand. She concluded that she just needed to talk to someone but she felt guilty for burdening her friend with her concerns. Sora felt a gentle touch in her shoulder and was shocked to see that Taichi had gotten close to her so quickly.

"I'll take care of everything now. You no longer need to worry, Sora."

"You'll take care of everything?"

"If you let me, I'll make you feel good."

Sora wanted to feel good. She needed that. The girl believed that if she kept going she'd soon break down. But her friend was there. The charismatic guy able to encourage everybody in the soccer club was there and said he would take charge. Sora felt that she'd be abusing of her friend's kindness if she agreed. She did not want to be selfish, but she could not bring herself to decline his offer. She was ashamed but relieved to whisper"yes."

And then Sora felt as if someone ripped her heart out.

Piyomon had collapsed after she took a few steps from the bedroom. She felt like she was drowning in cold water and could not move. Her sight got dark and small delicate hands carried her to another place. It was a dark and cold room where the weakened Gomamon and Patamon had been locked.

"It's Piyomon! They must've gotten Sora too!" Gomamon cried.

"She's not even talking. Piyomon seems to be in a far worse state than us." Patamon had almost no energy in his voice.

"Then it's up to Mimi, Koushiro, Palmon and Tentomon now. They're the only ones who can save everybody."

Koushiro and Tentomon had been going down a corridor for what felt like hours.

"This building can't possibly be this big. There must be a space distortion in this place." Koushiro theorized.

"Koushiro-han, I'm tired. What are you even looking for?" Tentomon complained.

"It's a general investigation, although…"

"Although what?"

"Do you remember that human sized clown doll we saw earlier?" Koushiro asked with hesitation.

"That thing with the scary vibe?"

"You found it scary?"

"You didn't, Koushiro-han?"

"I don't really know how to explain it…" Koushiro was evasive. "It's not really a logical thing. I think I have seen that doll before."

"Horrible sound!" A menacing whisper echoed in the corridor in front of them. The lights started to flick. "Destroy that horrifying noise!"

"What is this?" Koushiro asked, frightened.

"I think it's getting closer. We should run!" Tentomon sounded alarmed.

The two turned around and saw the clown toy a couple of steps away, reaching its arms to them, as if silently asking the boy and the insect digimon to hold its hands.

"Koushiro-han, let's get away from that thing!" Tentomon tried to pull his partner but the child stayed in the same spot.

"Wait, Tentomon. We don't know if the clown doll wants to hurt us."

"Destroy the noise! End the noisy!" The voices coming from the other side of the corridor were getting louder.

"I will protect you." The clown doll promised. Its voice was calm and assuring. Without thinking, Koushiro grabbed its hand and he and Tentomon were teleported to a room with no door or windows.

There was a big crib in the center of the bedroom, an armchair at its left and a bed-side table at its right.

"A nursery…" Koushiro thought aloud. The place felt strangely familiar.

"You will be safe here, Koushiro." The toy said in a tranquil voice.

"Safe from what?" Tentomon inquired.

"Monzaemon." The clown spoke with controlled rage. "He's a toy digimon that resembles a gigantic stuffed bear. He has a magical book that he uses to bring toys from the human world and make them grow and gain life. Monzaemon is the cruelest being I ever encountered."

"I don't understand." Koushiro expressed his confusion.

"Toys are naturally telepathic. For us, human emotions are like music. The happiest the child, the most beautiful the melody. But nobody can be happy all the time. And it's the job of the toys to relieve the sadness; we exist for the sake of children. Monzaemon betrayed that mission."

"Betrayed?" Tentomon asked.

"He is obsessed with beautiful melodies and made almost all the toys he 'rescued' share that trait. That monster doesn't care about the well-being of children and will do anything to get 'happy music' from them, like tear their souls apart and reassemble them in a way that pleases him. Just like what he did to three of the children that came here today… and what he has planned for you."

"Monzaemon did what to them?" Koushiro was terrified. "Where are they now? I need to help them!"

"If you leave this room you'll just become another victim." The toy spoke with authority. "You can't help anyone."

"I can't just hide while they're in danger! Please, let me help them!" Koushiro begged. The clown toy got closer to the boy and held his face gently. All of a sudden, the child fell asleep. The clown carried Koushiro to the crib and accommodated him there.

"What did you do to him?" Tentomon was angry and worried.

"Koushiro is just sleeping. Please, guard him while I'm away."

"Why did you do that to him? Where are you going?"

"I couldn't let him put himself in danger and couldn't make him stop worrying. This is my way to protect Koushiro while I save his friends."

"Why do you care so much about Koushiro-han?"

The toy stayed silent for a minute. Memories flashed before its eyes. It had been a gift a widow father had made for his only daughter. The girl never stopped treasuring the toy, even after her father passed away, even after she married the dork Math professor, or even after she had a child. The toy had always been in her heart until her heart stopped beating. And then Monzaemon took the toy from the car wreckage and tried to install his malefic world vision in it. The clown had peeked on the bear's magical book and learned how to manipulate the space and hide. And the clown would have stayed hidden forever had Koushiro not entered that cursed hotel.

"I don't take promises lightly." It said, disappearing. Tentomon did not understand what was happening but stayed close to the crib where his friend was asleep.

After finishing A New Hope, Mimi and Palmon got hungry. The girl took her bag, touched by Sora's demonstration of trust, and left the bedroom with her partner. They took the elevator to the hall and went to the dinner room. Jyou, Takeru and Sora were enjoying a meal in the company of a giant yellow teddy bear. The children had serene faces and exhibited enormous smiles that Mimi thought lacked sentiment.

"Be welcome, my dear Mimi." The bear greeted, indicating a seat. "It's a pleasure to listen to your heart's song so closely. I am Monzaemon."

Mimi did not understand what the digimon meant, but she was more intrigued with the children's behavior and the absence of their digimon.

"Sora-san? Jyou-san? Takeru-kun?" The girl called. The three children looked up to her. Their eyes seemed empty.

"This is truly a wonderful place. I am so relaxed." Jyou spoke in an emotionless monotone voice.

"I want to stay here forever. I don't need anything or anyone." Takeru also spoke in the same way.

Sora did not say anything. She smiled largely at the younger girl, like the boys. Those smiles deeply disturbed Mimi.

"What is wrong with them?" The girl questioned in a frightened voice.

"Where are their digimon? They would never leave them alone!" Palmon added.

"Their digimon are indisposed." Monzaemon replied. "And there's nothing wrong with the children. Can't you see how happy they are? I dismantled their disharmonic songs of desperation and turned them into beautiful melodies."

"I don't understand what that means. What did you do to them? They're not acting like themselves! They're not acting like people!" Mimi shouted. Monzaemon stood up from his seat.

"Stop!" He ordered. "You have to stay happy! Your melody is becoming unpleasant!"

"I DON'T CARE IF I'M UNPLEASANT!" Mimi cried loudly. "AND DON'T TELL ME TO BE HAPPY AFTER YOU BRAINWASHED MY FRIENDS, YOU FREAK!"

Monzaemon straightened his posture and adopted a calm tone of voice:

"It's okay, Mimi. I can fix you."

"Don't listen to him, Mimi!" Palmon warned the girl.

"If you allow me, I can erase all of the negative things you're feeling. I can fill you with happiness."

"Stay away from me!" Mimi ordered, taking a step back.

"You are scared and upset. I can throw those things away."

"OF COURSE I AM SCARED AND UPSET!" Mimi shouted as tears fell from her eyes. "I am terrified, concerned for my friends and furious at you! And I am entitled to feel this way! I won't let you take these feelings from me!"

The sound of clapping came from the dinner room's entrance. The clown toy was cheering Mimi on.

"You are truly impressive, girl. You are easily the strongest person to ever come here."

"Mr. Raindrop!" Monzaemon roared. "You finally show yourself in front of me."

"Girl, go to the left elevator and press the highest number. You'll get to Monzaemon's office."

"Stop talking, Mr. Raindrop!" Monzaemon threatened, moving forward. The clown jumped between the bear monster and the girl and her digimon.

"There is a huge book with a black cover over his table! Set the book on fire and all the magic Monzaemon performed will be undone! That's the only way to save your friends!"

Mimi and Palmon ran to the elevator. Mr. Raindrop continued to block Monzaemon's passage.

"My toys will stop that fool!" Monzaemon stated.

"The toys won't lay a finger on the owner of such a marvelous melody." The clown toy retorted.

"That ferocious madness is not marvelous!"

"It's a pity you don't appreciate rock opera." Mr. Raindrop said. The bear digimon grabbed the toy and tore it into little pieces. In its last moments of consciousness, the clown remembered what its beloved friend asked him almost a year before she died.

" _Please, take care of my child after he's born. Just like you always took care of me."_

Mimi and Palmon rushed into the elevator as soon as it opened and the girl pushed the highest number with all her energy. After the doors closed, she fell to her knees and cried.

"I can't do this! I can't do this! I should've looked for Koushiro-kun and Tentomon!"

"There was no time, Mimi."

"But I can't defeat that bear monster! I'm just a little girl! I can't even walk long distances or carry heavy bags! How am I supposed to save the others?!"

Mimi was shaking in despair. She felt weak and incapable by herself. She needed someone to help her! To protect her! She had always been protected from everything her entire life!

"Mimi." Palmon held her friend's hands. "I know you can do this. Didn't you hear what that clown doll said? You are very strong!"

"No, I'm not strong!"

"A weak person wouldn't confront Monzaemon!" Palmon stated. "You always stand up for yourself and now you're standing up for your friends! Who cares if you don't have thick legs yet or if you cry a lot? That doesn't matter! Believe me when I say this: your heart is like a stronghold."

Palmon's words gave Mimi confidence. What her friend said was true. When did the girl stop believing in herself? Mimi had survived everything that strange world had thrown at her. Now was not the time to doubt her capacity.

"I guess it's my turn to protect everybody else." The girl said, wiping the tears. "Thank you, Palmon."

The elevator reached its destination. Mimi and Palmon entered an office filled with bookshelves. On a desk nearby, a big book with black cover was visible. The girl grabbed it and set it on the floor. She opened her bag and pulled out the bottle of fuel and the matches. Mimi was soaking the book when Monzaemon teleported to the middle of the room.

"Stay away from that, you stupid child!" He ordered.

"I'm going to save my friends! You can't stop me!" Mimi said, lighting three matches at the same time.

"Wait!" Monzaemon pleaded. "I'll give you anything you want!"

"I want my friends back to normal!" Mimi demanded.

"I can't do that, but I can send you back to your world." Monzaemon offered. "I can even make you forget about those children, so you can live happily. What do you say? Be a good girl and give me the book."

Mimi hesitated for a split second. What if that was her only chance of going back home? Then, she glanced at Palmon, who was standing between the girl and the stuffed bear, willing to fight to protect her partner. Mimi remembered about how Sora-san and even Jyou-san were always thinking about the well-being of the group and doing everything in their power to protect the smaller children. She felt ashamed of her hesitance.

"I want my friends back to normal!" Mimi restated. "Even if it means that I'll be stuck in this scary place forever! Even if it means that I'll have to sleep on the ground and eat fruits and walk until exhaustion, I will never abandon my friends!"

"You fool!" Monzaemon advanced against Mimi, but the girl's device shone brightly and enveloped Palmon. Where the flower digimon was a second before, a huge cactus with boxing gloves appeared.

"Palmon evolves to TOGEMON!"

Togemon punched Monzaemon on the face, sending him flying towards a bookshelf.

"Hurry, Mimi!" The cactus told her partner.

"I won't let you!" Monzaemon stood up and ran to Togemon, who stopped him.

"This ends now!" Mimi said, throwing the matches on the book, which quickly burned.

"Noooooo!" Mozaemon was enveloped by shadows and disappeared. The entire office was consumed by light and Mimi felt like she was floating.

When the light faded, Togemon and Mimi were standing in a glade. A few steps from them, the other four children and their digimon were waking up.

"I had the weirdest dream," Jyou said. "We were in a hotel with toys and my father showed up…"

"I also dreamed with that hotel!" Takeru exclaimed. "My brother was there and he was so mean to me! And I think I said rude things to Jyou-san."

"Don't worry about that," Jyou comforted the little boy.

"That wasn't a nightmare, was it?" Sora wondered in loud voice, clenching her right fist over her chest.

"Sooooooraaaaa!" Piyomon jumped happily on her partner. "You had disappeared and everything became cold and dark! I was so worried!"

"Takeru, I thought something terrible had happened!" Patamon hovered over his partner's head. "I was afraid I would never see you again."

"You're alright, Jyou?" Gomamon asked the older boy in a serious tone, which surprised the 6th grader.

"Yes. Thank you for worrying about me, Gomamon." The boy smiled at the white seal creature.

"Is that Palmon?" Tentomon asked, pointing at the giant cactus.

"A cactus wearing boxing gloves?!" Jyou could not believe his eyes.

"This is Togemon. She helped me defeat Monzaemon, an evil teddy bear that brainwashed you guys," Mimi explained enthusiastically. "I used all of my bonfire fuel to burn his magical book down and save you."

"You saved us, Mimi-san? You're incredible!" Takeru said in amazement.

Mimi blushed.

"T-thank you. I guess I'm kind of awesome," she laughed.

"You did great, Mimi-chan. I'm very proud," Sora gave the girl a warm and sincere smile, which made Mimi's face turn completely red.

"Good job, Mimi-kun," Jyou praised. "I'm sorry for what I said to you earlier."

"Apologies accepted," Mimi beamed at Jyou. The girl was truly happy that everybody was safe and back to normal. But there was still something she wanted to tell them. "I appreciate everything you and Sora-san have done to protect me, Takeru-kun and Koushiro-kun. I know that I still have a lot to learn but I'm not as childish and fragile as you might think. I want you to rely on me as well."

Togemon devolved to Palmon and hugged her partner.

"You already are very reliable, Mimi!" The plant digimon said, smiling.

Koushiro sat and looked around. There were no traces of the nursery or the clown doll or any of the other toys.

"That doll put you to sleep," Tentomon informed the boy. "I think it was honestly trying to protect you."

"But why? Who was that toy?" Koushiro muttered to himself. "Did I know it?"

"Maybe that'll remain a mystery forever. Don't think too much about it," Tentomon advised.

Far from there, Monzaemon was standing in front of a big red door in a bad lit corridor.

"Mercy," He pleaded. "Please, Mother. Be merciful."

"After you stole one of my books?" The female voice from the other side of the door asked in an icy tone. "After you betrayed me and fought alongside _them_ in the Ancient Times?"

"Your song had become so sad. I-I was desperate!"

"Your selfishness is unbelievable, Monzaemon. But I shall give you another chance in the future."

"Thank you, Mother! Thank you so much!" Monzaemon bowed in gratitude. "Now you'll let me go back?"

"You will stay here."

"But… Mother, the cries…"

"Have you not learned anything today, Monzaemon?" The woman scolded. "Those who are wronged are entitled to sadness. Since you helped in _their_ demise, you must acknowledge _their_ pain."

"NO! PLEASE, NO!" Monzaemon begged but had no reply.

The Mother observed in a screen the group of children and their digimon. She smiled with satisfaction.

"I have a good feeling about these kids."

 **Thank you very much for reading. This was the longest and most difficult chapter to write so far. Please, leave reviews. I'm curious to know your opinions. :)**


	4. Koushiro's mystery

**Chapter 4: Koushiro's mystery**

"LAKE!" Gomamon celebrated as he jumped into the crystalline water.

"I'm so thirsty!" Mimi said, picking some water in her hands and drinking it.

"It'd be better to boil the water first." Jyou warned her.

"No patience for that." Mimi replied, drinking more water.

"Alright but don't complain when you get an infection." Jyou sighed in frustration.

"It sure is good that we found a lake." Sora spoke in a cheerful voice as she sat on a rock. "I missed actually drinking water instead of getting it from fruits."

"Or sodas in a creepy toy hotel." Mimi commented. She regretted it immediately after feeling the mood get heavier. "Was it too soon to talk about it?"

"Ahm…" Takeru was looking for an excuse to change the subject. "So… you are all from the same school, right?"

"Yes, we are." Sora was glad for the little boy's intervention. "And Koushiro-kun and I are in the same soccer club."

"It's hard to imagine Koushiro-kun playing soccer." Mimi joked. "Whenever the teacher is not in the class, he picks up his laptop."

"You do that in school too?" Jyou had a disapproving tone of voice directed at the 4th grader boy. "Why is it that whenever I see you, you're with the laptop? Why don't you study in books?"

"I'm… sorry…?" Koushiro was not sure about how he should reply. He did not like it when he was the subject of others' conversations. "But a laptop can be very useful. If mine wasn't out of power, I could use it to try to connect to the internet."

Without thinking too much, the redhead took his laptop out of the backpack. It was when he noticed a static sound coming from the earplug he also carried in the backpack. Koushiro put the device on his ear and tried to make sense of the noise.

An acute scream made the boy throw the device on the ground immediately.

"HELP!" A female voice shouted, sounding terrified.

"What is that voice?" Sora was astonished.

"Sounded like an adult woman, didn't it?" Jyou was hopeful.

"We must help her!" Takeru stated.

Koushiro's laptop turned itself on and a map appeared on the screen. It showed the lake and had an X at its other margin.

"Did… did she do that?" Jyou asked.

"How could she hack the earplug and the laptop? How did she turn on an uncharged laptop?" Koushiro wondered in loud voice.

"Guys, do you think it could be a trap?" Sora asked.

"We should check it. If it's someone in trouble, we can't ignore her," Mimi replied.

"Let's go, then," Koushiro agreed.

They walked around the lake and got to the spot indicated, only to find trees there.

"Maybe she was turned into a tree?" Jyou wondered, stretching his hand to touch one of them. To his surprise, his hand went through the wood. The sixth grader took it back right away.

"Another dimension?" Koushiro theorized. Without hesitation, he slipped his head through the tree and saw a place with gray sand and sky, and a huge metallic building that resembled a factory. Before he had the chance to analyze anything, he felt himself being pulled back by the neck.

"What are you thinking? Don't stick your head into unknown places!" Jyou scolded, letting go of the redhead's neck.

"That was careless, Koushiro-kun," Sora chimed in.

"Sorry for worrying you." Koushiro apologized. "I think there's a pocket dimension at the other side. I saw a factory."

"Do you think that's where the voice came from?" Tentomon asked.

"It's worth a shot," Mimi said and jumped into the tree. The others followed her impulsive lead.

"This place looks abandoned." Jyou commented.

They got to the metallic door and pushed it open. Lights were automatically turned on in the corridor ahead.

"Now, how do we find her?" Mimi asked.

"If I can connect my laptop to the local network, I could figure out her location." Koushiro suggested, taking the lead.

"It's unusual to see Koushiro-kun so talkative." Sora commented in low voice.

"This is how he is when he's interested in something." Mimi told her, smirking.

"At times like this, I wonder if he forgets that other people are around." Jyou had a critical tone.

"Koushiro-san is so lucky." Takeru whispered to Patamon. "He's the person with the most friends in the group."

"Look at that!" Koushiro exclaimed, pointing to a giant battery close to a crate. He found a door on it and opened it. Inside the battery, there was a circular room with hieroglyphs written on the walls.

"There's nothing here, let's get moving." Jyou said, impatient. He could not wait to find a human adult.

"If I'm allowed, I would like to stay here a bit more and take a better look at the hieroglyphs." Koushiro spoke shyly.

"Ok. As long as Tentomon stays with you." Sora agreed. "We'll continue to look for the sender of the message."

As soon as Koushiro and Tentomon were the only ones left in the place, the boy with red hair closed the door and took a deep breath.

"You seem to be relieved, Koushiro-han." Tentomon commented. "Do you not like their company?"

"It's not that!" Koushiro hurried to explain himself. "I'm just not used to be around many people for so long. I missed having alone time."

This information upset Tentomon. Could it be that the boy wanted the digimon to leave him too?

"Do you want me to go away?"

Koushiro became nervous when he realized he had hurt the digimon's feelings. "I-I'm so sorry, I didn't mean that! I'm not good at expressing myself."

The boy sighed. He knew he was not a likeable person and did not have good people skills. Most of the time he avoided getting too close to people from fear that he would, inevitably, let them down somehow. He knew that people were better without him. These thoughts always made his heart ache; when that happened, he needed to distract himself quickly. The boy sat on the floor, opened his laptop and began to type the information he saw around him, written on the walls.

"Maybe I could figure out something about this place and you guys." The human boy had a small smile on the lips.

"Why do you want to do that?" Tentomon wanted to understand the other's motivation.

"I'm curious about many things and it's always good to gain new information. Besides, it could be helpful to the others." Koushiro was gradually feeling more enthusiastic.

"So, you like to help people, Koushiro-han?" Tentomon asked. "You're a really nice person."

Koushiro's fingertips froze after the boy heard that. Tentomon was confused by the sad, guilty expression in the human's face.

"Did I say something bad?"

"What? No!" Koushiro forced a smile but was clearly nervous. "Sorry, I was just thinking about something. I'm sorry for worrying you."

"You apologize too much, Koushiro-han. I'm not mad at you or anything." Tentomon laughed. In reality, he was trying to figure out the boy's personality. Tentomon could not shake the feeling that he had a better understanding of the other humans than he had of his own partner. However, it seemed like Koushiro disliked personal questions and did not get happy with compliments. The digimon wanted the boy to talk about something he was comfortable with and brought him joy, so Tentomon figured out that it would be a good idea to ask about the hieroglyphs.

"Have you discovered something yet?"

"If only I could execute this program… YES!" Koushiro exclaimed, excitedly, as the program ran in his computer. The lights turned off and the writing on the walls glowed and moved around, imitating the pattern in the computer.

"This is definitely a different dimension." Koushiro mused. "Computer data assumes physical form here and clearly can interfere with reality."

"Of course." A feminine voice stated. It was coming from everywhere. "This is still the Digital World, after all. This is a dimension constituted by data that exists in the human network."

"It's the woman who was crying for help." Koushiro noted.

"Does that mean she's in here with us?" Tentomon wondered.

"I exist in this building's inner network and database, everywhere at the same time." The voice replied.

"Then it's not an actual person." Koushiro sighed. A part of him was curious about the creature in the database but he felt mostly frustrated. It was not as if he was desperate to find other people, like Jyou was. But Koushiro really wanted to see the owner of that voice ever since he first heard it, but he did not understand why.

"I apologize for choosing this voice. I took it from your earlier memories back when you heard my cry in the device."

"Do you mean that you scanned my mind?" Koushiro asked as he got up, agitated. The idea of someone lurking into his brain and seeing the things he kept to himself scared him deeply. Soon, another inquiry rose from his mind. "The voice you are using now… I don't think I know anyone who sounds like you. Who owns that voice? "

"Of course you know, you just don't remember." The female voice said. "After all, she died along with her husband almost a decade ago."

Tentomon saw his friend become sickly pale and start trembling, what made the digimon concerned.

"Koushiro-han, what's wrong? Are you feeling ill?"

"You can't mean…" Koushiro murmured. Tears began to appear in his wide eyes, "… died…"

"It's unfortunate that you'll never get to meet them but I can show them to you. If you allow me, I can revive the memories about them."

Koushiro began to breathe with difficulty. He located the door through tact and got out of the battery. The boy fell to his knees and covered his mouth with both his shaking hands.

"Koushiro-han, what happened?" Tentomon asked, deeply worried.

"They died." Koushiro murmured to himself. "They've been dead all this time. They didn't abandon me…"

"KOUSHIRO-HAN!" Tentomon cried, finally getting the other's attention. "Please, talk to me. Tell me what's wrong."

"I'm sorry." Koushiro muttered. He had forgotten about Tentomon. "I didn't intend to make you worried. Please, don't worry about me."

"I'm already plenty worried!"

"I'm sorry…"

"STOP APOLOGIZING!"

Tentomon did not want to yell; neither did he want to see those big tears in his partner's eyes. Koushiro immediately faced the opposite direction and wiped the tears with the backs of his hands.

"I'm sorry." The digimon apologized. "I didn't mean to upset you more, Koushiro-han. But if you don't talk to me, I won't stop worrying about you. Do you think I'm too dumb to understand?"

"Of course not!" The human faced Tentomon again. "I would never think that of you!"

"Why don't you want to talk to me, then?"

"I never talked about it with anyone… not even my parents know that I heard them talking about it." Koushiro's voice was very low and full of sadness. "I don't even know if I have the right to discuss this. I think that they're waiting for the right time and they want to protect me, even though they shouldn't worry about that... they are too kind."

Tentomon hugged the boy lightly, trying to comfort him somehow, even though he still did not understand what his friend was trying to say. Koushiro hugged him back. It was as if he could feel the other's warmth (although ladybugs should not be warm like that) penetrating his skin and entering his human heart. Koushiro felt safe in that moment and that feeling led the fourth grader to speak those words:

"The parents that I have now adopted me."

Koushiro had confessed. He always thought that saying those words aloud would break his spirit. However, what he felt was a strange sense of relief.

"They have no obligation in caring for me but they still do. And I love them more than anything in the world." Koushiro added. "I don't want to cause problems for them."

"Who were the people who died?" Tentomon questioned gently.

"My biological parents." Koushiro replied. They could not be anyone else. Of course he had considered that possibility during his first days after knowing the truth. It was before considering that they could have left him behind; and it was before the mere act of thinking about his adoption had become so agonizing that the boy tried to escape that reality the best way he could: by focusing his attention on anything that had no relation to himself.

"I'm so sorry, Koushiro-han." Tentomon said with sadness.

"Please, don't feel bad." Koushiro let go of the hug and forced a smile. "I mean… at least I know that they didn't hate me or abandon me out of disgust or anything like that."

"You thought those things about your parents?"

The ashamed look on Koushiro's face made Tentomon regret what he had asked. The digimon was getting frustrated at his inability to make the boy feel better.

"I'm horrible." Koushiro muttered. The boy believed the digimon should find him repulsive. The fact that his biological parents had died brought him less sadness than considering that they did not love him and did not want him. And now Tentomon saw the despicable person hidden behind the aloof yet curious façade.

"Of course you're not horrible! Don't say things like that!" Tentomon scolded his partner, to Koushiro's utter shock. "Why are you putting yourself down like that?"

"Why are you still being so kind?" Koushiro asked in confusion.

The fact that Koushiro did not seem to understand Tentomon's most basic feelings crushed the digimon's heart. He wanted the other to open up and accept his affection. Tentomon imagined that if Koushiro remembered his biological parents and understood how beloved he was, the boy would feel better.

"You should go back in there and ask the database lady to show you your parents."

"I can't! I-I shouldn't do that!" Koushiro protested.

"Why? You want to remember them, don't you?"

"You don't understand… you can't understand this."

"I can only understand if you explain!"

Koushiro put his hands on his head and closed his eyes. He did not know what to do. And he did not want to make Tentomon feel worse. At the same time, a part of him longed to share more with the digimon. He had never met someone so interested in getting to know him better before.

"I don't know if it's right. I don't know if I'm entitled to that." Koushiro spoke honestly. "I don't know what I'm going to feel when I remember them."

"Not knowing makes you scared?" Tentomon asked. "I thought you liked to learn new things."

Koushiro really did like to learn new things. Usually, when confronted with an enigma, he would get excited to make theories and crack the mystery. But that was different. Searching for answers about his existence never brought him anything more than pain. Like when he found out that he was adopted and he looked for its meaning in the internet.

He learned that adopted children were stains to the family that accepted them. They were burdens, cursed people who could not honor their ancestors and could only bring shame to those who took them in.

Although Koushiro knew his parents were kind and loving people, he could not stop himself from wondering how much of a problem he was to them. What if they regretted having adopted the boy? Could they, one day, come to him and tell him that they did not want him anymore? That possibility terrified him to an extent that Koushiro put all his effort into being a good son and causing no trouble for his parents. He would never demand things, he would never complain, he would never worry them, and he would do everything in his power to be of use. Before he realized, that behavior had extrapolated from his family. His approach to people in general was to either stay out of their way or to search for ways to be helpful.

"I really think you should face this fear of not knowing, Koushiro-han." Tentomon gave his partner an advice. "I promise I'll be by your side all the time. I'll never let you alone."

Koushiro allowed a couple of tears to escape his eyes and gave Tentomon a slight but honest smile.

"Thank you." The human said, standing up and opening the door of the battery.

"Have you come to a decision?" The female voice inquired.

"Yes." Koushiro replied.

Far from there, the other children and their digimon had found an abandoned laboratory. There were parts of several broken instruments and furniture spread on the floor. Mimi was examining a big screen fixed to a wall.

"It looks like this was a scientific facility a long time ago." Jyou commented, looking at a notebook he had found. "Homeostasis…"

"Does anyone else think there was a fight in here?" Takeru asked, pointing to the broken furniture.

"The entire building seems to be in a bad state and I doubt the passage of time is the only thing responsible." Sora commented, approaching a metallic and rectangular box, big enough to fit an adult inside. "I wonder what's in here."

"Maybe it's food. Let's open it!" Jyou suggested.

"You're always thinking about food, Jyou." Gomamon mocked.

"Are you guys forgetting that we came here to rescue a woman?" Mimi asked, managing to turn the screen on. A video was shown. A small robotic being was talking to the camera in what seemed to be the laboratory the children were in. He seemed to be scared to death.

"This is Nanomon, team leader of the Homeostasis Project. We were found out! The Sanctuary has sent a perfect level soldier to annihilate us. Although we didn't manage to fix the problem of the prototype being infected by the host's emotions, one of the top scientists put the helmet on himself in hope of defeating the invader. The chaotic state of mind of the volunteer manifested in destructive paranoia and self preservation in the computer program. The members of my team that were not killed by that metallic abomination were destroyed by Homeostasis." The digimon was crying profusely, as explosions were heard on the outside. "I hope I can still escape and if I do, I swear I'll make all those Sanctuary villains pay! If anyone is watching this, if anyone has come to this place… run! I don't know if Andromon or Homeostasis will survive, but you must not fight them. They are both vicious murderers! Please, run!"

The video ended.

"So that's what happened here." Palmon commented, astonished.

"That Nanomon didn't say anything about a woman." Jyou sounded disappointed. "Don't tell me it was just a digimon speaking to us!"

"If Nanomon was right, it was either a digimon possessed by a murderous computer program or a perfect level digimon that came to this place to kill everybody!" Patamon pointed it out.

"We can't possibly fight an Andromon!" Gomamon was visibly scared. "Even if we all evolved, a perfect level is too strong for us!"

"We most likely walked into a trap!" Sora was furious at herself for letting that happen. But that was not the time to lament. She had to take everybody to a safe place. "Let's find Koushiro-kun and get out of here now!"

A punch sound was heard inside the box, which made everybody retreat a few steps. With another punch, the top of the box was thrown away and a tall android being rose from the recipient and faced the children and their digimon. The monsters immediately put themselves in front of their partners.

"It's Andromon." Palmon whispered.

"We'll slow him down while you run." Piyomon said.

"But you don't stand a chance against that!" Sora protested.

"Sora, you can't afford to worry about us now!" Piyomon stated. The girl knew it was true. She had to take the others to safety. But she could not bring herself to abandon her friend.

"The evil existence has found a host!" Andromon announced. "Are you at the enemy's side?"

"No, of course not! Absolutely not!" Jyou hurried to say. "We came here by accident. We had no idea about what this place even was."

"What are you doing, Jyou-san? That guy killed most of the scientists!" Mimi whispered angrily.

"Making sure we survive, that's what I'm doing!" Jyou replied.

"I sense no evil in you. You are free to go." Andromon said.

"Thank goodness!" Jyou sighed. Everybody was more relaxed.

"Now, clear my path." Andromon ordered, coming out of the box.

"Why were you in that box?" Takeru questioned.

"After I delivered a lethal blast on the former host, Homeostasis imprisoned me. I recovered from my injuries but could not escape until it focused its attention on something else." Andromon explained in an emotionless voice. "Now I can sense that evil existence in a new body and I must exterminate it."

The android digimon jumped over their heads and landed at the entrance of the laboratory. He ran down the corridor.

"Is he running in the direction of that battery where we left Koushiro-san and Tentomon?" Takeru asked terrified.

"You don't think… Koushiro-kun couldn't have been…" The thought of Koushiro being possessed by a dangerous entity made Sora shiver in fear and guilt. Why did she leave him there? He was her kouhai! He was under her care! If something bad happened to him it would be her fault!

"We have to hurry and save him!" Mimi had urgency in her voice and was about to start running but Jyou held her by the arm.

"Don't be irresponsible, Mimi-kun!" Jyou scolded her. "What is your plan? We're no match for that guy! We can't defeat him!"

"What is your plan to save Koushiro-kun, then?" Mimi questioned. There was no answer.

"Jyou-sempai?" Sora got anxious over his silence. "We need to think on a plan fast otherwise Koushiro-kun will be killed!"

"It might be too late for him." Jyou stated, trying to ignore the horrifying looks the others gave him. "Let's think about this logically. If this Homeostasis possessed Tentomon, he probably has killed Koushiro-kun already. And if it possessed Koushiro-kun, it's dangerous to even approach him!"

"Neither of them might've been possessed." Takeru said in a cold tone, walking away from Jyou and getting closer to Sora.

"Even if it is as you think, Jyou-sempai, we can still save them!" Sora stated, clenching her fists. "We can't just abandon them!"

"Stay quiet, all of you!" Jyou ordered. He felt that his knees were about to give out but the 6th grader forced himself to sound authoritative. The older boy did not want to abandon Koushiro. He knew it was his responsibility to protect all of the younger kids and the idea that he would have to explain to the Izumis what had happened to their son made him want to die. If it depended only on Jyou, he would do everything to save Koushiro. But he had to think about the other younger children under his care. He had to think on the greater good and make the difficult and painful decision. "The only reasonable choice we have is to leave immediately! I wish there was another way but I can't risk your lives just to save one person!"

"YOU COWARD!" Mimi accused. She felt her eyes burning and let the tears flow. She had never been so enraged at a person she knew. "You disgusting, heartless coward!"

"Mimi-chan, wait." Sora lifted her hand in a gesture indicating that she wanted Mimi to be quiet. She examined Jyou with wide eyes, still processing what he had said. However, the 5th grader knew that there was urgency in rescuing Koushiro and she could not afford a discussion now. The girl turned to Takeru, who did not take his eyes away from her, as if expecting for her decision.

"Takeru-kun, please you go with him to somewhere safe while Mimi-chan and I save Koushiro-kun and Tentomon. Our digimon partners are the only ones who can evolve right now." She told Takeru.

"I'm not going to leave your side, Sora-san!" Takeru protested. He had fire in his eyes. "Please, don't make me go with him!"

Although Sora wanted the smaller child to be safe, she had enough respect for Takeru not to force him to go with Jyou.

"Then stay right behind me." She agreed. "Let's go, Mimi-chan!"

"DON'T IGNORE ME!" Jyou yelled, angry. "I'm the oldest one! I'm in charge! You have to listen to what I say!"

However, Gomamon was the only one who stayed by his side.

Inside the battery, the entity that had been talking to Koushiro instructed him to type a code in his computer that made a helmet appear.

"Put it on." The voice said.

"Do it, Koushiro-han." Tentomon encouraged the other. He was sure that the memories of his parents would make Koushiro happy. And maybe then the boy would be more open and let the digimon get closer to him.

"Alright." The boy said in an insecure voice, placing the metallic device that resembled a samurai hat on his head. He felt it adjusting to his head's size as small electric shocks seemed to enter his brain. It hurt terribly, so the fourth grader closed his eyes.

"Focus." The female voice was louder. Koushiro was lying on what seemed to be a crib. By his side, there was a clown toy identical to the one that had saved him in the hotel. When he looked up, Koushiro saw two people observing him with familiar adoring eyes and broad smiles. The woman had long red hair, black eyes and many of her traits made Koushiro feel like he was looking at a mirror. The man had short and spiky black hair and deep black eyes. He had a serene aura, contrasting with the energetic one the woman had. They were singing a lullaby but Koushiro could not pay attention to their words. He was too busy taking in their voices and all the details he could.

What intrigued Koushiro was the familiarity of the way they looked at him, their warmth and their joy. It was not exactly that he remembered them. Those smiles and those glances were things he had seen many times during his life but on different people. When the realization stroke him, the boy felt as if time had stopped. The way his biological parents looked and smiled at him was identical to how his adoptive parents did those things.

That powerful and unconditional love was something he had known his entire life. Something he never doubted during his early childhood. But then, when he heard them talking about him being adopted, Koushiro built an opaque wall to keep them at distance. And the distortion caused by that wall made him doubt everything he had once known. It had made him seriously believe that those two fantastic human beings who had taken care of him for almost his entire life could eventually stop loving him. He had convinced himself that he was something unworthy, below everybody, something that could never bring happiness to people and should spare everybody from his presence unless he had a way to be of use to others. And yet, Koushiro was loved by his parents as much as he had been loved by his biological parents when he was a baby. A love that would never end, no matter what he did.

"Thank you." Koushiro said, opening his real eyes and taking the helmet off. The tears fell as if washing away years of insecurity. "Thank you so much." There was no feminine voice outside to reply. The lights had gone back to normal and the hieroglyphs were no longer shining.

"The database lady has been silent for a while." Tentomon commented. "How was that? Tell me everything!"

The door of the giant battery was pulled out and a tall android stood at the entrance. His chest opened and two missiles were visible.

"An Andromon?" Tentomon was surprised. "What do you want? Why are you pointing those things in our direction?"

"I sense the great evil inside of the human creature. He cannot be allowed to exist." The android replied harshly.

"What…?" Koushiro felt his heart sink and could not move. His deep fears reappeared to drag him to the darkness once again. Luckily for him and Tentomon, Birdramon kicked Andromon out of the way. His missiles did not enter the battery but hit the ceiling of the factory. Tentomon pulled Koushiro to the outside where they saw Togemon and Birdramon fighting the android and Mimi, Sora and Takeru hiding behind the nearby crate.

"Koushiro-kun, Tentomon, hurry!" Sora shouted. The two of them ran and hid behind the crate as well.

"Are you alright?" Mimi asked. "Did Homeostasis do something to you?"

"Homeostasis?" Tentomon questioned, without understanding.

"Homeostasis project." Koushiro started speaking in a slow monotone. "Developed to free the Digital World from the evil queen."

"SHE IS THE GODDESS!" Andromon roared. He threw Togemon and Birdramon against the wall behind the children so forcefully that it cracked. The two adult digimon devolved to their prior forms.

"Palmon!" Mimi ran to her friend. Sora wanted to run toward Piyomon but the crate in front of her was lifted by Andromon and thrown behind him. Unconsciously, Sora put herself in front of Takeru.

"Why did you say that, Koushiro-han? It made Andromon angry!" Tentomon questioned Koushiro, who looked at him without understanding.

"I didn't say anything, it was the database being!" Koushiro defended himself.

"You were the one talking, Koushiro-kun." Sora informed as cold sweat ran down her face.

"But I wasn't. Why are you saying I was…" Koushiro had begun talking in an anxious tone when his voice suddenly returned to the monotone. "They say that because I talked using your mouth, Koushiro. I am inside of you now. Your body and soul belong to me for as long as I want."

Koushiro's face gained a horrified expression as he continued to talk in monotone, while the others stared at him in terror.

"I realize that I have not properly introduced myself. I am Homeostasis. It's been a pleasure to meet you, Koushiro."

"Do you understand now?" Andromon inquired. "Your friend is the host of a diabolic slaughter machine created to defy the Goddess. He's nothing more than the bringer of death and chaos now."

Koushiro started to laugh nervously.

"The bringer of dishonor, the stain, the burden, the cursed child!" His voice said with irony.

"Leave Koushiro-han alone!" Tentomon cried.

"What a change of heart from five minutes ago." Koushiro's voice was taunting and a vicious smile was on his face. "This would never have happened without you."

Those words pierced Tentomon like knives and left him motionless. Koushiro walked away from the children, in direction of the corridor earlier used by the others, but Andromon was preparing another missile attack. However, cables pulled themselves from the walls and tied the android down.

"I still have control over everything connected to the network." The voice of the redhead had a cold tone. "Give up at once."

"I'll escape in no time and slay you, you evil beast!" Andromon threatened. Palmon and Piyomon had gotten up and were ready to attack the android at any moment.

"I am not evil!" Koushiro countered with cold fury. "Nobody is entitled to tell me that my existence is wrong!"

"Of course it isn't!" Jyou was coming through the corridor and stopped a few steps away from Koushiro, with Gomamon by his side. "You are Homeostasis, right?"

"What do you want to tell me?" Koushiro's tone was a mix of defiance and hope.

"Jyou-san came after us. I thought he was going to run away." Mimi was astonished.

"I wonder if he got a plan now." Sora thought in loud voice.

"I find you truly fascinating, Homeostasis. And I have a proposition for you." Jyou continued. His entire body was shaking and his face was covered in sweat. "Koushiro was not a good choice of host, you know? He's too polite, too shy, too short, you'll never look intimidating in that body!"

"Did he come here just to trash talk Koushiro-san?!" Takeru could not believe his ears.

"Wait." Sora said in a serious voice. She had a bad feeling.

"Why possess Koushiro-kun when you can take over the body of an older, taller and outspoken leader like me? Plus, I already provoke a violent reaction on other people!" Jyou's voice was breaking and small tears were forming in his eyes, but he kept the bravado act. "With my body, I guarantee you t-that it will be a lot smoother to do whatever it is that you want to do."

"What the hell are you saying, Jyou?!" Gomamon was shocked. When Jyou had told him he had a plan to save everybody, the seal digimon was not expecting that.

Koushiro approached Jyou and examined him attentively.

"You are serious." The smaller boy made an affirmation, somehow sounding incredulous. "You are willing to sacrifice yourself to save this person."

"I'm the oldest one. I'm responsible for them all." Jyou stated. "Just promise me you'll let them all go and you can do whatever you want with my body."

"JYOU-SEMPAI!" Sora tried to stop the older boy.

"Don't do that." Koushiro's voice sounded as if the boy was pleading. "Please, don't do that, Jyou-san."

"Koushiro-han?" Tentomon felt revived when he recognized his partner's tone of voice. The ladybug flew toward Koushiro and landed at his side. "It's you! Koushiro-han, it's you!"

"I don't want to cause harm to people." Koushiro's voice broke and he started to cry. "I don't want to be a problem. Don't get close to me."

"You're not a problem, Koushiro-kun!" Jyou assured the other kid. "This is not your fault!"

"No." Koushiro's voice became harsher. "ALL OF YOU, STAY AWAY FROM ME!"

New cables grabbed Jyou and Gomamon, as Tentomon embraced Koushiro and tried to make him react.

"Koushiro-han, please!"

"NO! NO!" Koushiro screamed. "Don't look at me! Don't look at me! I need to run! I need to hide! Please, leave me alone!" A trapdoor opened under him and he fell inside. Tentomon grabbed the boy in time and flew with him, safely, until the ground. They were now in a storage room filled with crates.

" _Why this fight? Whys this resistance?_ " Koushiro kept crying. " _You are full of fear and yet you don't want to cause pain to anyone._ I don't want to be a problem! _Why do you care?_ I can't stand this! I can't stand to do this to other people. Please, don't make me do this. _You are nothing! Your life doesn't matter! WHY RESIST?_ I can't let them be hurt! _I'll destroy you from the inside out!_ Then do that and leave them in peace!"

"KOUSHIRO-HAN!" Tentomon cried louder, managing to make Koushiro look at him. Distress was evident on the boy's tear stained face.

"I'm sorry, Koushiro-han." The digimon sobbed. "I thought I was helping you. I wanted to make you feel good and for us to bond… I never wished for all of this to happen. I'll never be able to apologize enough or to make it up for you."

Koushiro felt his heart get heavier. The sight of his friend's tears seemed to paralyze Homeostasis. Feeling that he once more had full control of himself, the boy stretched his hand to Tentomon, who stretched one of his arms in response. They looked at each other's eyes and their agony diminished. It was a brief silence that felt like rain.

"Tentomon, I don't blame you for anything." Koushiro tried to comfort his friend. However, there was no forced smile, neither there was a dismissal of his own problems. He had come too close to Tentomon to allow such lack of respect. Closer than he had ever been to anyone. Despite the terrifying circumstances, there was delight and a sense of peace in it; it felt like being hit by a warm wave, with no resistance. "Before all these horrible things started to happen, I was very happy. Thanks to you, I remembered something important. It was a thing that I had stopped seeing because of my foolishness."

Battle sounds came from the floor above. The boy's eyes widened. By being so close to Tentomon and after seeing all of the children putting so much effort into trying to save him, Koushiro became aware of the obvious.

"You are all fighting because you want to protect me. This is not just kindness, is it?" Koushiro asked in a progressively credulous low voice. "You want to save me because you care for me."

"Of course!" Tentomon confirmed with vehemence. "How could you not understand this until now?"

"Because I still have a lot to learn." Koushiro said with a chuckle. That sensation was strange and the boy wished for more of it. "With you by my side, I'm not so afraid of the unknown. If it's not too much to ask, please keep on teaching me."

Andromon jumped to the floor below, through the open trapdoor. Tentomon positioned himself in front of Koushiro, adopting a protective stance. The device on the boy's backpack glowed as the ladybug digimon said "I'll always support you."

"Tentomon evolves to Kabuterimon!"

The giant blue wasp charged against Andromon, delivering an electrical attack. From above, Mimi appeared at the trapdoor's hole.

"Koushiro-kun, Palmon will stretch her ivy so you can get out of there." She said.

"Are you guys too hurt?" Koushiro asked in a concerned voice.

"We're going to survive, don't worry." Mimi assured him. "Better said, worry about yourself! Jyou-san and Sora-san are looking for any information to help you in the laboratory but first you need to escape!"

"They are not going to abandon you." Koushiro heard Homeostasis say, knowing that it was using his voice. "No matter what any of us does, they won't leave you."

"It seems so." Koushiro agreed.

"My creator, Nanomon, said that I had a bug called emotional contamination." Homeostasis narrated. "He only saw me as a flawed first attempt: Homeostasis prototype one. Nobody ever fought for me. Nobody tried to help me. The only feelings I got from them was contempt, anger and fear. That led me to close myself in this dimension, changing its entrance location every few minutes. I was afraid that someone else would find me and destroy me like that Andromon. And, at the same time, I wanted someone to come to my rescue. So I cried lowly in a specific and weak wave, I don't know for how long. Until today, when someone heard me."

"I understand."

"Nobody can ever love me. But thanks to you I know what that feeling is. You might not believe me but I hope that someday you'll love yourself at least half as much as you're loved by others."

"I believe you." Koushiro smiled.

"I know." Homeostasis added, when Palmon's ivy arrived.

That sad existence had seen some light at last. But if it kept going, something precious would be lost in vain. Those were not logical statements a proper Homeostasis should think. But they fit the contaminated one well, despite coming from another child.

"Time to give in."

Koushiro collapsed. Kabuterimon was losing the fight when Andromon stopped the attack. He analyzed Koushiro but could not sense Homeostasis in him. And then all the lights turned off.

When Koushiro woke up, he found himself lying in a cold cave. Tentomon was close to him.

"Homeostasis left your body and self-destroyed. Andromon helped us get out of the building before that dimension collapsed. We arrived in a snowy part of File Island." Tentomon informed. "Andromon said he was going back to the Sanctuary and left."

"How are the others?" Koushiro asked.

"Only the digimon got hurt, but they'll feel better after resting and eating properly. Mimi-han found a refrigerator filled with eggs, so we'll have a great feast. I feel that there's something going on with Jyou-han and there's this weird atmosphere among the others but nobody explained me anything." Tentomon continued. "How are you feeling, Koushiro-han?"

Koushiro thought about what answer he should give. The problem was that he had not yet processed everything that had happened that day. So the fourth grader decided not to think about an answer and simply stated how he felt.

"Lighter."

 **I'm very sorry for the delay, my classes are back. Koushiro is a very special character to me and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. See you next time and thank you for reviewing.**

 **P.S.: The internet information Koushiro found when little is based on a few things I read regarding Japan's cultural prejudice against adoption.**


	5. The rift

**Chapter 5: The rift**

 _"Ainda é cedo, Amor._

 _Mal começaste a conhecer a vida._

 _Já anuncias a hora de partida._

 _Sem saber mesmo o rumo que irás tomar."_

He woke up listening to her gentle voice singing. His small body fit entirely in her lap.

"Mother, what do the lyrics say?"

"Do not worry about that, my child." Her voice was as soft as always. "Go back to sleep."

"Will I have good dreams, Mother?" The tiny being asked.

"Of course." She assured him. "Sleep in peace, knowing that I'm watching over you."

He did as she told.

His eyes were opened to a ripped dark sky and an upside down world.

He could listen to his sister's scream in the distance.

Above him, four beasts surrounded a massive ball of dark matter.

He could see his Mother in there, being absorbed. Her once shining armor was being pierced.

His broken wings did not allow him to do anything.

All he could do was to watch her being dragged into the darkness.

Devimon woke up shaking. He found himself in his workshop, inside Infinity Mountain. In front of him there was part of the huge structure he had built, made mostly of black gears and sheaves.

The digimon went outside and took a look at the snowy plateau at the feet of the mountain, surrounded by a valley. Those down below could not see him. But Devimon could make out the small human beings, paying special attention to the smallest one.

As he observed the boy with golden hair, he muttered a part of the song that haunted his nightmares.

 _"Ouça-me bem, Amor._

 _Preste atenção, o mundo é um moinho._

 _Vai triturar teus sonhos, tão mesquinho._

 _Vai reduzir as ilusões a pó."_

Takeru was sitting by Mimi's side, close to a hot spring, in front of Infinity Mountain. Near to them, were Palmon and Patamon. Koushiro was asleep inside a cave in the mountain's wall, and Tentomon was watching over him. The children had found medicinal plants growing next to Infinity Mountain and used them on the digimon's wounds, without much result. There was also, shockingly, a refrigerator full of eggs behind them. Sora and Jyou, along with Piyomon and Gomamon, had gone to collect wood for a bonfire. The children had not talked much since their escape from the pocket dimension.

"Mimi-san…" Takeru decided to break the silence. "Why is everybody acting so weird?"

Mimi looked at him, not comprehending.

"It was a terrible day. We could have all died. Palmon…" The girl could not keep talking. Her mind went back to Palmon, Piyomon and Patamon trying to stop Andromon, who had untied himself. The small digimon no longer had the energy to evolve and were easily pushed away by Andromon. They kept trying to take the perfect level down fruitlessly, until they could no longer move.

"We'll get better in one or two days." Palmon assured her partner. "I'm familiar with those plants; they take a while to work properly."

"I'm sorry, Palmon." Mimi muttered, hugging her legs against her chest. "You took so much damage. I charged forward with Sora-san without considering what would happen to you."

"Mimi-san, what are you saying?" Takeru had an apprehensive tone. "Do you regret saving Koushiro-san's life?"

"No, it's not that!" Mimi hurried to explain. "I'm glad that we could save him and that we all survived but…"

"But what?" The boy questioned.

"We are only alive now because Andromon didn't want to kill us. And Koushiro-kun is alive and well now just because Homeostasis decided to leave his body." Mimi's voice was bitter. "I don't think our decision to help him made any difference at all. We could have died… and it would have been for nothing."

"Don't say that!" Takeru pleaded. "We all fought our hardest, we all-"

"The digimon fought their hardest!" Mimi corrected him. The resentment in her voice was shivering. What Takeru did not realize was that her resentment was directed at herself. "They just went along with what we decided… they got hurt and almost died and yet they couldn't do anything. If Palmon and the others had died it would've been our fault."

"It was our choice to fight too, Mimi!" Palmon scolded her partner, sounding offended."We might be partners and you might give me the power to evolve, but you are not the boss of me!"

"Yeah, we acted on our own free will and have no regrets about it!" Patamon added.

"Mimi-san, you sided against Jyou-san when he suggested we should ditch Koushiro-san. You called him a coward! Why are you going back on your words now?" Takeru felt confused and scared.

"Jyou-san offered himself to Homeostasis to try to make it free Koushiro-kun. He was not a coward!" Mimi stated, standing up. "I don't know if I could've done something like that."

"That's because he regretted what he did earlier and wanted to compensate it by doing the right thing!" Takeru stated his interpretation. In his eyes, what had happened was obvious. Because of that, Mimi's perplexed expression made him uneasy.

"Do you really not understand why he did that?" Mimi felt overwhelmed by a mixture of different emotions. "When Jyou-san offered himself to Homeostasis, that wasn't him showing regret. That was his plan B."

"Plan B?" Takeru did not understand.

"He feels responsible for us. He thinks it's his duty to protect us and tried to make what he believed to be the right decision… and I misunderstood him… I only understood his feelings when I saw him pleading for our lives in exchange of his own." Mimi's eyes got wetter as she talked. "I wanted to be reliable and to be there for all of you but all I did was act recklessly, like a kid. And that didn't help anyone! I criticized Jyou-san but I did no better than him!"

"We are all kids, Mimi-san!" Takeru stated angrily, which surprised the girl. "But that doesn't mean that we can't tell what is the right thing to do! And saving Koushiro-san was the right decision!"

Mimi heard the noise of a branch cracking and turned her head in its direction. All she saw was a figure running away, down the valley at their left. It did not take long for Mimi to realize what had happened. She panicked and ran in that direction too, telling Takeru to wait for her where he was.

When reached the nearby trees, the point where the plateau ended and the valley began, Mimi saw, at least ten meters below, Tentomon talking to someone she could not make out because the person was hidden behind a tree.

"Why did you come here, Mimi?" Palmon asked. The plant digimon had followed her partner.

"I think Koushiro-kun heard what I said." Mimi had fear in her voice. "What is he thinking now? He must find me horrid! He must think that I want him dead or something!"

"Why would he think that?"

"Because Takeru-kun was basically saying that I regret saving Koushiro-kun!" Mimi almost cried.

"Do you regret it?" Palmon asked in a very serious voice.

"No!" The girl replied. "I have doubts about the way we tried to save him. I'm glad Koushiro-kun is okay."

"Then explain that to him." Palmon suggested.

"What if he doesn't understand?"

"You explain to him again, slowly."

Mimi giggled. She felt like she had not laughed for years. The girl walked down to where Tentomon was and found Koushiro sitting behind a tree. He had a heartbroken expression that made her feel guilty.

"Mimi-han." Tentomon sounded colder than usual. Koushiro looked up, shocked and somehow scared.

"Did you hear what we were talking about?" Mimi asked in an ashamed voice.

"I apologize for that." Koushiro had a very sad tone. "It was wrong of me to spy on you."

"It's not wrong if you're the subject of the conversation." Mimi said, sitting by his side. Palmon pulled Tentomon by the arm, indicating that they should let the children talk alone. The insect digimon reluctantly agreed.

"I'm sorry for putting you in danger." Koushiro apologized. The boy closed his eyes fiercely, as if he was in pain. Mimi saw his hands shaking as he continued to speak. "I should have been more careful. I shouldn't have trusted Homeostasis."

"We were all deceived by that thing. Don't feel too bad about it." Mimi tried to make the boy feel better.

"I could have killed everybody."

"Don't say that!" Mimi could not stand to see her classmate in so much sorrow. "Even when you were possessed, the worst you did was trapping Jyou-san in some wires. He didn't even have a hard time escaping them! But this is not what I came here to say." Mimi scratched her head, a bit frustrated. "I want you to know that nobody regrets saving you. I know you heard me say those things but the point was not you. I was having second thoughts about the way we acted. It was reckless, we didn't come up with a plan, Palmon and the other digimon could have…"

Mimi stopped talking, covering her mouth as she remembered Palmon getting beaten up.

"Mimi-san, I never thought that any of you wanted me to die." Koushiro was surprised that the girl had considered that. "Even if you had run to save yourselves, I would have understood. I mean… I know that I'm not worthy of someone else's sacrifice."

Mimi felt enraged by that comment but held her feelings in. The last time she had let her emotions make the decision, the result had been grim.

"Do you find me immature, Koushiro-kun?" Mimi asked, fearing the answer.

"Immature?" Koushiro was puzzled. "Why would I think that of you?"

"I'm brash. I act without thinking and let my emotions take charge. I don't listen to other people as much as I should, I might be somewhat arrogant... I don't consider the consequences of my decisions."

"Are you comparing yourself to Jyou-san?" Koushiro inquired bluntly. "Is this because he wanted to leave me behind?"

"I don't believe he wanted to abandon you."

"Me neither. He tried to trade places with me, after all."

"He puts the needs of other people before what he wants to do." Mimi muttered to herself.

"Do you think that's what makes someone mature?"

"That's how it is, right?" Mimi inquired nervously.

Koushiro took a while to answer.

"I don't understand a lot about people. And I don't think my personality traits are very common. In spite of it, is it okay to give you an answer based solely on my personal experiences and opinions?"

Mimi noticed how the boy blushed after saying that and avoided eye contact. She thought he was excessively shy and insecure but found it endearing how he was willing to try to help her although it made him uncomfortable. The girl nodded.

"I think that I act based more on logic than on my feelings. And I always put other people before myself. But I don't think that makes me mature in any way."

Mimi was intrigued by that statement.

"To tell the truth, I wish I could let my emotions guide me more." Koushiro confessed. "I wish I could be more spontaneous and honest with other people, and not feel guilty for letting others down. The things that you listed as proof of immaturity are precisely characteristics I lack… and because of that they are traits that I admire."

"You think my flaws are admirable?" Mimi stared at the boy in disbelief. "Why would you say that?"

"Maybe traits are not inherently good or bad. Maybe there's a scale that you have to manage to balance your characteristics, in order to do more good than bad things. And I find it remarkable if you can achieve that while being true to yourself."

"I'm not sure if I understand. But I'll keep that in mind." Mimi had a little smile on her lips.

"Oh, and one more thing, Mimi-san." Koushiro seemed to have just remembered something. "I want to thank you for saving me."

"We couldn't do anything to help you." Mimi faced the ground, ashamed. "Our efforts were pointless."

"That's not true at all!" Koushiro disagreed vehemently. The conviction in his voice made Mimi look up to him. His gaze was intense, like she had never seen it before.

"Homeostasis was infected with my emotions." Koushiro explained. "I'm quite a negative person; I don't think anything good would have happened if you and the others had not come to help me. To see all of you fighting for my sake… to understand how much you all cared for me… it guided me to the surface. It made me want to fight… and I couldn't let your feelings and your efforts to be in vain. Because you made me feel that way, Homeostasis also felt that way and left my body. Even though I do feel guilty and ashamed for being the reason Tentomon and the others got hurt and you guys risked your lives, at the same time I'm glad you did it. Even if Andromon hadn't killed me, I'm sure that I wouldn't exist as myself if it weren't for what you did. So thank you for saving me. Thank you for being confident in your choice and for following your emotions, Mimi-san."

Koushiro got nervous when he saw tears falling from Mimi's eyes.

"Did I say something wrong? I'm sorry if I offended you somehow." He apologized, not understanding what he had done to cause that reaction.

"Thank you." Mimi replied.

"What?" The other was deeply confused. Mimi showed him her brightest smile.

"Thank you, Koushiro-kun." She repeated, wiping the tears with the back of her hand. "We'd better go back to where Takeru-kun is."

"O-okay." Koushiro agreed. He was still wondering what he had done to make Mimi cry. Two meters ahead, they found Tentomon and Palmon waiting for them. Tentomon pulled his partner's arm and made him walk faster than Mimi. When they were about 20 steps away from the girl and Palmon, the insect digimon muttered in a concerned voice:

"Did she say something bad to you?"

"Not at all, she was very nice. But she cried when I thanked her for some reason. And then she thanked me… and did not explain for what. I have no clue why she would do that." Koushiro narrated, showing his confusion.

"I wouldn't worry about that. I'm pretty sure she's not mad at you."

"I hope so." Koushiro said, giving his friend a subtle smile.

Walking with Palmon, Mimi sighed.

"What a waste."

"The conversation went bad?" Palmon was disappointed.

"No, it was great. I feel a lot more in peace with myself now." Mimi replied in a serene voice.

"Then what was the waste?"

"Koushiro-kun and I have been classmates for nearly two years and we pretty much only interacted by greeting each other. And it's the same for his relationship with all the other classmates." Mimi said, remembering how she almost always saw Koushiro by himself, unless he wanted to share some random scientific fact with whoever was close by.

"So what?" Palmon did not know where Mimi was heading.

"If Koushiro-kun were more confident in opening up," Mimi sighed, "a lot of people would gain an incredible friend."

Meanwhile, Sora and Jyou were collecting wood for the bonfire, along with Gomamon and Piyomon. Each of them was carrying a small pile of branches.

They had not talked much and the silence was making Jyou nervous.

"I did what I thought was right." Jyou said, facing Sora's back.

"I know." Sora replied without turning around. "I don't think anyone is mad at you, Jyou-sempai. After all, you did try to switch places with Koushiro-kun and then you suggested that we look for clues in the lab."

Jyou remembered vividly what had happened a few hours earlier. But what bothered him the most was not how the small digimon had no way to win and the only reason they had all survived was because Andromon had no interest in taking their lives. Nor was it how rapidly that desperate situation had been concluded: Takeru had run to the lab and told them that Andromon was not going to kill Koushiro anymore and that he was going to help the children to escape. And as soon as they had left the pocket dimension, the android told them that Homeostasis had left the boy's body and self-destroyed and then walked away, saying he had to go back to the sanctuary.

What really bothered Jyou was that ever since then, there was almost complete silence among the children.

They talked about urgent things like finding medicinal plants, picking up wood for a bonfire, getting eggs from the refrigerator (in normal circumstances, Jyou would have pointed out how unlikely and convenient it was to find a refrigerator in the middle of nowhere filled with food) but nothing that mattered. It was like everybody was too tired to feel anything. Or that nobody wanted to reflect on what had happened that day.

The silence was something Jyou hated. His father was silent whenever the boy could not meet his expectations. And that horrible void of sound was always filled with what Jyou believed to be other people's thoughts and feelings regarding him. He was the youngest person in the house and knew he should not bother or defy people in positions of authority. However, when he found himself in the position to take authority, everybody ignored and defied him. Unlike an adult, Jyou did not feel angry at that behavior. What he felt was shame and disappointment for being himself. He could not guide or protect anyone, even though he did what he believed an adult had to do. All his efforts proved to be pointless, as always. No doubt nobody had any respect or affection for Jyou.

"You are cruel, Sora-kun." Jyou whispered. That sentence made Sora turn around and stare the boy in shock.

"Jyou!" Gomamon was startled.

"What are you saying?" Piyomon got angry at the boy. Sora showed her palm to the bird digimon as if asking for her to be quiet. The girl pierced Jyou with intense eyes.

"Why did you call me that?" Sora inquired in a controlled tone of voice.

"Mimi-kun says everything that goes through her mind! She doesn't leave me wondering how she feels about me, but you…" Jyou's voice almost broke, "you are the most insincere person I know!"

"How dare you?" Sora questioned, pressing the wood against her body.

"You keep on calling me 'sempai' as if you actually looked up to me in any way!" Jyou accused. "And you talk to me as if you don't despise me when I know it can't be true! So, please, just let it out! Just straight up tell me how you're really feeling!"

"You're acting just like an adult." Sora replied, trembling in cold fury.

"Why? Because I tried to take charge? Because I tried to make the hard decision that I thought was going to save most of you?" Jyou raised his voice.

"Do you enjoy this, Jyou-sempai? Do you rejoice in ordering people around like you're the boss?" Sora did not shy away from the confrontation.

"I'm the 'boss' because I'm the oldest one in the group! It's not something I wanted or something I enjoy!" The boy was defensive.

"You think you're our leader because some adult nominated you based on your age alone!" Sora accused.

"That's how society is, Sora-kun! You are supposed to respect those who are older than you!" Jyou shouted.

"I would never respect someone who looks down at others because they're younger! Nor would I respect a person who thinks that someone's life is expendable!" Sora shouted as well.

Jyou felt deeply wounded by those words.

"I didn't want Koushiro-kun to die." He defended himself in a wavering voice. "I didn't want to abandon him, I just-"

"I know." Sora adopted a calmer tone.

"Don't be sarcastic!" Jyou thought she was making fun of him.

"I'm not being sarcastic!" Sora stated. "I know that you're not heartless! I know that you wanted to keep everybody safe but forced yourself to make the 'hard decision,' without listening to anyone else! And then, once again all by yourself, you decided that your life was expendable, just like Koushiro-kun's life was five minutes before!"

"I don't understand what you're saying." Jyou was perplexed. "At one moment you tell me that I look down on others and that I find their lives expendable, the next-"

"I wasn't talking about you." Sora cut him off. "I was talking about adults in general. I was talking about what you aspire to be, about the type of person you're forcing yourself to be! And you don't have to be like that!"

"What's your problem with adults?" Jyou inquired angrily. "Why do you have to be so rebellious and disrespectful to people you're supposed to honor? Do you talk to your parents like that?"

Sora trembled. Her eyebrows contracted and the girl bit her lower lip. She pressed her pile of branches against her body more fiercely and started walking up the valley, toward the plateau where they had left the others.

"It's getting dark and we have enough wood already. Let's go back." Sora said in a cold tone. Jyou wondered if he had hit a sensitive spot for the fifth grader and felt bad about it. Piyomon and Gomamon walked behind them.

"I had never seen Jyou talking to someone like that before." Gomamon commented in low voice. He was becoming more and more worried about his partner.

"I wish I could understand Sora better." Piyomon lamented.

Takeru had been left alone with Patamon and was staring at the steam coming out of the hot spring.

"I hate being small." The boy spoke with melancholy. "Everybody thinks I'm not capable of understanding things."

"I don't think Mimi had any intention of hurting your feelings," Patamon reassured him.

"It's not just her," Takeru affirmed. "Everybody does that. They think I can't handle anything. They think I'm a weak little kid who knows nothing about the world. It's like I'm invisible."

"I'll never do that to you, Takeru." Patamon promised, jumping on the boy's lap. "If what they do upsets you, why don't you tell the others about how you feel?"

"I've known those people for one day, Patamon." Takeru felt anguish fill his heart. "I'm not their friend. I'm a stranger they feel they need to take care of."

"That is absolutely right." A deep voice spoke. A tall figure was flying above them and landed between the two and the hot spring. He wore jet-black cloth that covered his body almost entirely and had huge bat wings, a pair of horns on his head and long fingers that resembled claws. His eyes were completely red and a strange crimson mark crossed his chest.

"Devimon!" Patamon said, horrified.

"Do you know him?" Takeru asked.

"He's the worst and most dangerous digimon on File Island!" Patamon had urgency in his voice, jumping in front of Takeru in a protective stance.

"TAKERU-KUN!" Sora yelled. She, Jyou, Gomamon and Piyomon had returned to the plateau and hurried to the younger boy's side.

"What is that thing?!" Mimi asked, as she joined the others along with Koushiro, Palmon and Tentomon.

"Do you intend to fight me in your state? Foolish!" Devimon spoke with contempt. "I don't have time for you lot now. If you want to face me, meet me at the Village of the Beginnings."

Devimon grabbed Takeru with his right hand and Patamon with his left one. Sora and Jyou immediately ran to try to free the boy but the diabolic digimon flapped his wings, causing a strong wind that sent them flying in opposite directions, along with their partners. The other children lost sight of the older ones as they fell into the valley.

"Why aren't you guys attacking him? Why don't you evolve?" Koushiro asked, desperate.

"I'm too weak now. I can't fly. I can't use electricity!" Tentomon spoke with hopelessness, trying to light a spark with no success.

"Poison ivy!" Palmon tried to attack. However, her ivy fell before reaching the enemy. Devimon set flight and the ground started to shake violently.

"Koushiro-kun!" Mimi, who had fallen next to Palmon, stretched her right hand so Koushiro, who had also fallen, could grab it. However, the rocky ground broke open and a stream of dark gears emerged from it, separating the children. Mimi could not see the other fourth grader behind the black curtain. The speed of the gears forced the snow back, creating small avalanches that carried the younger children out of the plateau and down the valley, in opposite directions.

Takeru and Patamon, trapped in Devimon's hands, watched in horror as the events unfolded.

"Let go of me!" The small child cried. "I need to help them! They're probably hurt!"

"You can help nobody." Devimon made a merciless affirmation. "It's time for you to learn what the world does to children."

 **In case you're curious, the song used in this chapter is called "O mundo é um moinho." It's a samba written by Cartola. Here is the translation:  
** From the beginning of the chapter:

It's still early, Love.  
You've barely began to get to know life.  
And you already announce the departure time.  
Without even knowing which direction you will take.

The later part:  
Hear me well, Love.  
Pay attention, the world is a mill.  
It will crush your dreams, so petty.  
It will reduce the illusions to dust.


	6. Jyou's remembrance

**Chapter 6: Jyou's remembrance**

"Jyou, we need to talk." His father told him as they entered the man's study room. The eight years old child sat on a chair across the adult and looked up to meet his eyes.

"Is there anything wrong?" The boy asked, anxious.

"You know that Shuu wants to study Anthropology, right?"

"Yes, Shuu-niisan told me that." Jyou confirmed. Shuu announced that he did not wish to be a doctor during a family dinner. For an entire week, the father and the teenager did not talk to each other.

"Yesterday, Shuu and I talked. I still don't like that he's not going to follow our family's tradition but I won't force him to do anything he doesn't want to."

"I see."

"Tell me, Jyou, do you really want to be a doctor?" The father asked as he rubbed his hands. The man seemed to be concerned. "If you're doing this just because you feel obliged to, stop. Shin is already going to be a doctor, so don't worry."

The kid felt like something had pierced him in the gut.

"Answer me. Do you want to be a doctor?"

"Yes!" Jyou replied.

"Listen, son." The adult seemed to be pondering his words. "I know that you're not like your brothers…"

"I study harder than them!" the child stated. It was bad enough when his mother started that conversation, Jyou could not bear to hear his father implying that he was not as intelligent as his brothers. "I put everything into my studies so I can be on the same league as them. I know that I'm not gifted but if I keep on putting effort-"

"I know. I respect your hard work." The man said, smiling with what Jyou believed to be pride, which made the boy feel warm inside. "When you choose this path, you can never slow down."

"I won't slow down! You'll see, Father. I'm going to enter a good medical school and become a great doctor."

"Being a doctor is not just about effort and knowledge…" Mr. Kido sounded melancholic. "It requires maturity and mental strength. You won't be able to save everybody. There will be times when you'll have to make difficult choices… when you'll have to make sacrifices. Medicine is a field that forces you to grow up."

"Then I'll grow up as fast as I can." Jyou promised. "I'll be an adult so I can become a doctor."

In the present, Jyou was trying to climb Infinity Mountain. The soaring wind almost buried him in heavy snow. He had already slipped five times and fallen before advancing even twenty centimeters. And every time he fell, Jyou stood up and began to climb again.

"Jyou, get down from there! You're just going to get hurt!" Gomamon told him. The seal digimon could not understand what the human was trying to do. Was it not obvious that he would never manage to climb the mountain?

It was the same during the incident in the factory. Gomamon understood why Jyou wanted to prevent the others from fighting Andromon. It would result in certain death and it was unlikely that Koushiro could be saved. When the others had left the two of them alone and Jyou emerged from his shock and desperation saying "I know how to save them all," Gomamon had believed the human had come up with an intelligent plan. Every problem had a solution as long as you stayed calm and thought about it. Nevertheless, Jyou did not have a smart plan. He let himself sink in desperation and recklessly offered his life to save the others.

Why could he not see that, by taking Koushiro's place, the situation would have stayed the same from before? Andromon would still try to kill one of the children and the others would still try to save him. It would have been a pointless sacrifice. Not different from what he was doing at the moment.

"Jyou!" The digimon shouted as his partner insisted on climbing.

A few meters from there, Mimi and Palmon had fallen on a fluffy amount of snow. The dark sky was above them. The wind howled furiously over their heads as the snow hit the two friends like small knives.

"Why is it suddenly snowing? It wasn't snowing on the plateau!" Mimi complained, getting up and bracing herself in a futile attempt of fighting the cold.

"It's always snowing at the bottom of the mountain, nobody actually knows why or how." Palmon explained, standing up as well. "There's a story about this place being cursed."

"Jyou!" Gomamon's voice was heard coming from some meters on their right. Mimi and Palmon followed it and found the mammal digimon close to the rocky wall of Infinity Mountain, looking anxiously at Jyou, who was clumsily trying to climb the mountain. The boy covered in snow could not advance much and seemed to be about to fall.

"We have to go back up there!" Jyou's voice was almost breaking but it still expressed determination. "Takeru-kun was kidnapped! The others might be hurt or worse! I have to go to help them!"

"Jyou, it's impossible for you to climb the mountain! We need to find another way!" Gomamon scolded the boy. "Listen to what I'm saying, Jyou!"

"Jyou-san!" Mimi called the sixth grader. When Jyou turned his head in her direction, he misplaced one of his feet and fell on the snow. Luckily, he had only climbed thirty centimeters.

"Mimi-kun!" Jyou exclaimed in a mix of joy and relief, forcing himself up and running in her direction. "You're alright! Are the others okay too?"

"Takeru-kun and Patamon were taken by that strange monster. There was an earthquake, a stream of black gears broke out of the ground and I think Koushiro-kun and Tentomon fell on the side of the mountain where Sora-san and Piyomon had fallen." Mimi informed in a concerned voice.

"Sora and Koushiro are probably alright, they most likely fell on fluffy snow too." Gomamon theorized.

"Yeah, and Devimon said something about us meeting him in the Village of the Beginnings." Palmon commented. "He's probably keeping Takeru and Patamon as hostages, waiting for us to show up. He's not going to kill them yet."

"Yet?!" Mimi had a desolated tone. "Then that evil digimon is going to kill them anyway? He's going to kill all of us?"

"No need for desperation, we're going to figure something out and ensure everybody's safety, right, Jyou?" Gomamon turned to his partner for validation. Jyou frowned and looked down.

"Hey, Jyou! Say something to calm Mimi down!" Gomamon insisted.

Jyou was lost of words. There was nobody up in the mountain anymore. Takeru was taken somewhere else, Sora and Koushiro had fallen at the opposite side of the mountain, and everybody's survival was up to wishful thinking. Mimi could very well be the only other kid to still be alive, but for how long? It was cold and dark, they could die of hypothermia before the morning. The sixth grader felt defeated.

"What do I do?" Jyou asked himself, anxiously. "What can I do now?"

 _"You won't be able to save everybody."_ A statement his father made years before rose in his mind.

"What can I do?" Jyou questioned in an anguished voice, as if unaware that he was voicing his concerns.

 _"It's not your fault that all your effort and energy are not enough. There are people in the world who are just destined to be failures."_ The nightmare he tried so hard to forget had also returned to haunt him.

"What can I do?" Jyou kept wondering aloud, more and more desperate. He faced the ground and felt his eyes burning.

A gentle touch landed on his shoulder. He looked up and saw Mimi giving him an encouraging smile.

"Let's focus on finding shelter for now. Then we think about what we should do next. The problems won't feel so overwhelming if we pick one at a time to solve," she said.

Jyou could feel Mimi's hand shaking and wondered if that was caused by the cold or if Mimi was forcing herself to be positive for his sake. It was a big change coming from the girl who used to let out her frustration so easily. The thought that he was so incompetent at keeping the morale up that a fourth grader girl had to do it in his stead made him even more depressed.

"… Kill…" A husky voice came from the woods. A large white and purple mammal digimon with a horn that resembled a drill in the place of its nose crawled in their direction. At least five black gears were visible stuck in his back.

"Drimogemon!" Palmon shouted.

"Those gears again…" Jyou said, alarmed. The Drimogemon seemed to be suffering from the same infection of the Meramon and the Kuwagamon they had met earlier. _Can we help that digimon in our current state? Palmon is too weak to evolve and Gomamon… I don't even know what he would evolve to._

"What are we going to do?" Mimi asked, afraid. She suddenly remembered that Gomamon had not gotten as hurt as the other digimon during the fight against Andromon. "Gomamon! Jyou-san, make Gomamon evolve!"

"Eh?!" Jyou was perplexed. "What do you mean? I don't know how to do that!"

Drimogemon advanced in their direction. His horn started to spin.

"GOMAMON, DO SOMETHING!" The sixth grader panicked.

"Evolution isn't something I can do by myself, I need you to power me up!" Gomamon protested.

"Don't you have any attack you can use as you are now? Like shooting fire or electricity?" Mimi asked.

"Ah, I can control fish!" Gomamon said excitedly.

"Fish?" Jyou had a very unimpressed tone.

"Yes! I can give them orders and they do what I want!"

"THERE ARE NOT ANY FISH AROUND! CAN'T YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE?" Jyou shouted.

As Drimogemon advanced more, he was hit by a golden attack coming from above and was thrown back to the woods. A lion-man figure landed in front of the children.

"Leomon!" Palmon had joy in her voice. She turned to Mimi and explained who the digimon was: "He's a noble and heroic adult level digimon. He's definitely going to help us."

"You." Leomon said with admiration as he glanced at Jyou and Mimi. "You must be the chosen children!"

"Chosen children?" Jyou asked in confusion.

"I'll explain everything once we get to my hideout. Follow me!" Leomon led the way to a small cave in the mountain twenty meters ahead. Once they were all inside, the feline digimon pushed a huge rock to cover the entrance. Then, he arranged some branches and lit a bonfire with his attack. He lifted a big leather bag that was lying nearby, opened it and handed some fruit to the children and their digimon. He also picked up a packet and opened it, revealing a big piece of meat. The adult level digimon grilled the meat and shared it with the others.

"Thank you so much!" Mimi said, stuffing her mouth.

"I have something for the digimon too." Leomon said, picking up a glass bottle in his bag. He went toward Gomamon and Palmon and sprayed the liquid on them.

"My wounds… they healed!" Palmon exclaimed in admiration, moving around freely.

"It's a rare liquid that heals everything. I was given this bottle when I was assigned to this mission." Leomon explained.

"A liquid that heals everything?" Jyou's eyes shone as he pronounced those words. "That's like a dream! You can help so many-"

"It's a finite resource, I have to use it wisely." Leomon cut Jyou off.

"Oh… yeah, of course." The sixth grader sighed. "That makes sense… it's what an adult should do…"

"So, Leomon, you were talking about a mission and called us chosen children." Mimi brought the subject back on track.

"It's said that the chosen children come to our aid whenever this world is in danger. Only you have the power to save the digimon." Leomon told them.

Mimi gulped and stared at the lion digimon with wide eyes.

"Save the digimon? You mean… all the digimon? The entire world?" She was having difficulty in taking the information in. "But we're just children. How can we even do something like that?"

"Were we picked up at random?" Jyou was in disbelief that a supernatural force had chosen him, from all people, to save an entire world. That could not be right. "This must've been a mistake. I-I can't possibly… there's no way I can…"

"You must accept your mission!" Leomon roared, startling the others. "You have the power to make your digimon evolve to levels the rest of us can only dream about! Your duty is to defeat the darkness and save the Digital World!"

Mimi trembled. _What is going on here? Why is this guy putting so much pressure on us? It feels like that if we say 'no' he's going to call us villains. Is that right? I don't want to fight anyone, why am I being coerced into doing it?_

"Duty…" Jyou murmured to himself. _A duty to take care of others…_

"About the mission…" Leomon continued, ignoring the heavy atmosphere, "I've been recruited by a group that protects the Digital World. They gave me this rare liquid and the mission to save File Island from Devimon's darkness."

"It's this Devimon who's behind the black gears." Jyou felt cold sweat cover him when he realized that fact. "Why would someone create something so horrible? To purposely hurt other digimon…"

"We have only heard stories about Devimon back in the Village of the Beginnings." Palmon said. "He was once a kind digimon with a heart full of love. But one day his heart was filled with anger and sadness and he swore to make all digimon suffer as much as him."

"Village of the Beginnings? You've been there before, Palmon?" Mimi was surprised.

"Every digimon was born there. And we never forget how to return." Gomamon explained. "If we leave when the sun rises, we'll be there before night."

"You knew all along how to get to that Village and didn't tell me?!" Jyou inquired incredulously. "Why are you giving us this information just now?"

"Mimi is here now, so it's safe." Gomamon replied, annoyed.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Jyou demanded, standing up and clenching his fists.

"If I had told you before that I knew where the Village of the Beginnings was you would have started walking there right away and wouldn't stop until the cold paralyzed you!" Gomamon told him. "The only thing stopping you from taking pointless risks is the thought that you might put the others in danger. So now that Mimi is here, I know that you're not going to do anything crazy!"

"What are you…?" Jyou was astonished to hear that. "Are you seriously calling me irresponsible?"

"I'm calling you reckless in regards to your own well being!" Gomamon corrected him.

"I'm just doing what I'm supposed to do! I was put in charge, therefore I have to do everything to take care of the others!" Jyou defended himself.

"Then you should reconsider being in charge because you're terrible at it!" Gomamon accused.

Jyou was left speechless. He just kept staring at Gomamon as the small creature continued his explanation.

"Do you think you fooled me at any point?" Gomamon asked seriously. Jyou was finally listening to what he was saying, so the digimon would make sure to tell him what the boy needed to hear. "I saw you shaking and the tears appearing in your eyes, I heard your voice breaking when you wanted to act tough. You don't hide your feelings as well as you think, so please just drop the act already!"

"You think I can't handle this." Jyou murmured as his lips trembled. "You're calling me incompetent!"

"I'm simply pointing out the fact that you're not good at leading others!" Gomamon wanted to make his partner understand. "You burden yourself with that responsibility and you continue to make stupid mistakes!"

"I'm sorry for disappointing you." Jyou whispered, heartbroken.

"Wait, Jyou-san, that's not-" Mimi hurried to say when she saw how upset the older boy had become.

"I hope you don't intend to speak on my behalf." Gomamon told her.

"Enough with this ridiculous discussion!" Leomon interrupted them, gazing at Gomamon and Jyou with severity. "The two of you are partners! You must cooperate and make each other stronger! How can evolution happen when the two of you refuse to cooperate?"

"Let's be real." Jyou spoke with bitterness. "I knew from the beginning that I couldn't possibly make Gomamon evolve."

Those words hurt the small digimon deeply but he was too prideful to let the other know that.

"I couldn't have said it better!" Gomamon roared, crawling to the back of the cave. Palmon followed him.

Jyou lay down on the floor and faced the rocky wall, murmuring that they should get some sleep. Leomon agreed and lay down too. Mimi stayed seated and did not move until she was sure that the adult digimon had fallen asleep. Then, she moved to Jyou's side and whispered:

"Gomamon was just worried about you. I'm sure he didn't mean anything bad."

"He looks down on me." Jyou murmured. "Just like everybody, all the time… but I don't need his help or his concern. The day I accept help will be the day I'll accept that _they're_ right."

"Nobody looks down on you!" Mimi reprehended the sixth grader. "I admire some of your traits, like your concern for others, your sense of responsibility-"

"I know that you're trying to be kind but I don't need your pity, Mimi-kun." Jyou interrupted her. Insulted, the girl grabbed Jyou by the collar and forced him to sit and look at her. She was visibly angry.

"I don't pity anyone!" She stated. "And I don't come up with cute little lies to make another person happy! If I'm telling you that you have admirable traits, you can be sure that I'm telling the truth!"

Jyou looked away. The sight of those fierce eyes made him feel ashamed of himself.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why I act like this." Jyou apologized. "It's so frustrating that no matter how hard I work, everything keeps blowing up on my face. I keep making stupid mistakes and saying insensitive things… I don't actually know what I'm doing most of the time. No, I think I know... I've always known but the truth scared me so much... I just couldn't accept it."

"What are you talking about?" Mimi asked, concerned.

"I keep acting like everybody who doesn't put as much effort as me in things is slacking off. And I force myself to meet what I want to believe are my family's expectations for me. But do you know what is really pathetic? Deep down, I know that nobody really expects anything from me." Jyou's voice broke. "Even Father, who keeps telling me to study and to be responsible… maybe it's not even disappointment that he feels when I don't manage to get an excellent grade… maybe he just feels pity. Most of the time, people see me as a walking joke… as the at best average kid who can't even calculate big numbers in his head but insists on becoming a doctor."

"You never actually asked your family or anybody else about how they feel about you, right?" Mimi asked.

"I don't need to-" Jyou began.

"Of course you do!" Mimi almost screamed, which made Jyou look to her. It was when he noticed that the girl was crying. In spite of the tears, she still had ferocious eyes.

"Mimi-kun…"

"Nobody is psychic! Nobody is going to accurately guess someone else's feelings! Don't you dare act as if you're a type of super human who doesn't even need to confront people to know what goes inside their heads!"

"What are you so angry about?!"

"I can't stand it when people are too hard on themselves and start assuming that everybody must have a bad opinion on them!" Mimi cried. "Everybody has virtues, everybody is liked and admired by someone else, you're not an exception! I look up to your courage, to how you give your all to do what you think is right! What's this conversation about being average at best? There's no such a thing as average! Everybody is fantastic and unique in their own way! And even if nobody believed in you… even in the impossible situation that not a single person in the entire universe believed in you, not even me or Gomamon, it shouldn't matter! It's you who needs to have faith in yourself. It's you who has to think 'I'm amazing and I can do whatever the hell I want!'"

When Jyou's eyes filled with big tears and he let them run down his cheeks, he did not feel any anguish or shame. What the boy's heart was full of was gratitude. He had never had a person in his life to sincerely encourage him like that, probably because he never allowed that to happen. Jyou hid behind his seriousness and fear of failure and shoved people away with his attitude. Had he opened his heart sooner, would that warm feeling have enveloped him earlier? Was that what having a friend felt like?

"Thank you, Mimi-kun." The sixth grader said with an honest smile.

"Say, Jyou-san, why do you want to be a doctor?" Mimi was curious.

Jyou blinked. The girl seemed to be actually interested in his reason. He did not sense any malevolence or hidden intents behind the question. He did not feel pressured or thought that she saw him as incapable. It was alien for him to feel so at ease.

"I decided that I wanted to be a doctor when I was four or five years old, I guess. I was walking with Father on the street and a young woman approached us and thanked him. I remember that she said that she had a brain tumor that all doctors said was inoperable. Yet, Father did the operation and saved her life. The woman was so glad and Father was so happy…" Jyou narrated, smiling brightly. "Sometimes he doesn't manage to save a patient and that upsets him so much that he locks himself in his study room. But when he saves someone, he's so happy that he can't even hide it. I remember looking up to Father and wishing to be like him since that day… a splendid adult who gets joy from helping other people."

"That's beautiful." Mimi commented.

"What do you want to be, Mimi-kun?" Now it was Jyou who was interested.

Mimi beamed with confidence and replied:

"I want to produce and star my own TV show."

"Work hard, then." Jyou cheered her on.

At the back of the cave, Palmon had found Gomamon staring angrily at the wall.

"You're really upset, aren't you?" She asked.

"I'm fine. I don't care about what that fool thinks." Gomamon said, pouting.

"It's hard to deal with someone who puts so much effort into trying to act cool that he loses sight of his limitations." Palmon commented.

"I know!" Gomamon agreed. "Jyou is impossible! Who is he trying to impress by sacrificing himself?"

"I was talking about you." Palmon corrected the other digimon, who looked at her in disbelief.

"I'm not… I-I don't try to act cool!" Gomamon denied, blushing, which made Palmon laugh.

"You've been showing off confidence ever since we were babies." Palmon remembered. "You were always the loudest and most obnoxious and kept boasting about how cool and strong your partner was going to be. But I don't think you were disappointed when you met Jyou."

Gomamon looked down. He did remember how happy he was when he had finally met Jyou, even though the boy was not even close to what he had imagined. The truth was that the digimon was partially relieved. _Look at how lame this guy is_ , he remembered thinking that, _I don't even need to work hard to make him think that I'm cool_.

However, the human soon revealed that he was not simply a funny and insecure person who just needed a little push to gain confidence. Gomamon's affectionate teasing did not seem to have any effect on his partner. In fact, nothing that the seal digimon said or did seemed to impress the sixth grader. And when it mattered the most, he could not protect Jyou. He could not stop the boy from getting hurt, even when Jyou himself was the cause. The relief Gomamon once felt when he thought that Jyou was simple and would be so easily shaped by the monster's advices was destroyed, one piece at a time. The more he observed Jyou and heard him talking, the more complicated the human became. And now Gomamon was clueless, with no idea how to deal with him.

"Before I evolved for the first time, Mimi was really scared and did not believe she could do anything. But after we had an honest conversation, I could feel her heart beating. I could feel her power entering me." Palmon told him.

"Why are you telling me that?" The seal digimon asked.

"Because Mimi was at a very low point and she needed my help. It was thanks to me reaching out to her that she found her strength and courage." Palmon explained. "If you really put effort into getting to understand Jyou, I'm sure you'll be able to help him. And I'm sure he's going to make you evolve."

"He doesn't even believe in that possibility."

"Then make him believe."

"I don't know how to help Jyou!" Gomamon stated. "I tried everything but I keep failing… he's too hard, too difficult!"

"That's why you have to persevere." Palmon advised. "Don't give up on Jyou. I believe that the two of you can really complement each other."

"What am I supposed to do?" Gomamon had a pleading tone. "Please, tell me what I have to do?"

"I think you found the right path to find the answer for that already." Palmon said, walking away. "You stopped acting like you don't care."

Gomamon was left there alone. He fell asleep after a few hours.

Everyone's slumber was interrupted when the stone covering the entrance shattered. One of the falling rock pieces injured Leomon's right hand. Drimogemon had broken in and was ready to attack. Leomon immediately unleashed an attack from his left fist which launched his opponent outside. Jyou and Mimi followed him as he pursued his foe into the blinding sunlit snow.

"The Drimogemon seems to be in even greater pain than before." Jyou lamented, glancing at the beast's black gears and enraged expression.

Leomon managed to push the injured Drimogemon down a steep snowbank, trapping it momentarily. He turned to Jyou. "I need my medicine bottle," he said.

"I see!" The boy thought he had understood Leomon's intentions and hurried back to the cave. Jyou searched for the magical liquid inside the digimon's bag.

"What's happening?" Palmon asked. She was on her way to the outside. Gomamon was coming from the back of the cave.

"The Drimogemon returned and Leomon will use the liquid to cure him." Jyou replied.

"We can help in the fight now. Let's go, Gomamon!" Palmon called him as she ran in Mimi's direction. Gomamon stayed in the same place and observed his partner.

"Here it is!" Jyou yelled excitedly, picking the bottle up. He ran to Leomon and showed him the object.

"Good! Spray it on my hand!" Leomon told the boy, extending his right hand. "I need to be in my best form to kill that thing!"

The sixth grader froze at his tracks when he heard that. He looked at Leomon's injured hand and noticed only a small cut.

"What did you say?" Jyou hoped that he had misheard.

"I told you to spray it on my hand so I can kill the Drimogemon before it comes back here!" Leomon gestured in the direction of his foe, who was slowly but surely making its way back to the group.

"You said the liquid was a finite resource." Jyou had a shaking voice. "You said you had to use it wisely! Why are you going to waste it on a small cut on your hand when there's a sick digimon who needs help?!"

Gomamon heard his partner's outburst and rushed to Jyou. He was so amazed at the sixth grader's determined expression that he stopped moving a few steps away.

Drimogemon emerged at the top, ready to fight again. This time, Mimi and Palmon were ready to help. Palmon evolved into Togemon and engaged the enraged monster in combat. Her first priority was to protect Mimi and the others, but she wanted to avoid hurting her foe. With that in mind, she pushed Drimogemon down again and struggled to keep it pinned beneath the snow.

"Do you think the Drimogemon is sick?" Leomon asked, sarcastically. "He's a weak digimon who allowed the darkness to take over his body! He's an accomplice of Devimon now and has to be destroyed!"

"It's not the Drimogemon's fault!" Jyou stated, fiercely. "We've seen a Meramon being cured from the infection by having the black gear in his body removed. I don't know whether Togemon's attacks will have an effect on all the black gears but this liquid surely-"

"You will not waste that precious medicine on a disgraced digimon!" Leomon had a threatening tone and advanced in Jyou's direction. Gomamon ran to the boy's side.

"Jyou, what are you doing?" Gomamon asked. "We might be able to take the gears out by fighting! There's no need to antagonize Leomon!"

"We don't need to hurt the Drimogemon even more! Not when we can spray this liquid on him!" Jyou retorted.

"Jyou-san is right! We shouldn't fight unless it's extremely necessary!" Mimi supported the boy.

"Think about this carefully, chosen children." Leomon adopted a calmer tone. "I'm a strong and experienced adult level digimon. It won't be easy to defeat me. Plus, you'd have to fight the Drimogemon at the same time as me. Do the right thing and give me my bottle back."

"Have you ever used this liquid to help any injured digimon besides Gomamon and Palmon?" Jyou inquired.

"No. It's a rare medicine! I only used it in your partners because you're the heroes of this world." Leomon replied.

"So you're telling me that you've run into digimon who were suffering, while in the possession of a liquid that could heal everything, and you haven't helped anyone?! All you've done was take the lives of sick digimon and use a miraculous medicine to heal your silly, ridiculous wounds?!" Jyou was disgusted.

"This is my last warning!" Leomon pulled the sword he kept in his belt. "You can't afford to be immature now and turn your back to an ally like me!"

Jyou thought about the implications of the choice he would make. The logical option was to do as Leomon said. However, just by considering that, Jyou felt like he was betraying everything he believed in. _Difficult choices… sacrifices… maturity…_

The boy glanced at Mimi, a few steps at his right, who gave him a supportive look.

 _I'm the older one. I'm in charge. I need to put the safety of the younger children in the first place, but…_

The memory of that woman from his childhood reappeared, more detailed than ever.

 _"Thank you for taking that risk, Doctor Kido." She had said as she cried and smiled. "I can never thank you enough for the years you granted me."_

 _"I'm the one who's grateful." Jyou's father was so happy. "Look at you, all grown up. I'm so glad I could help you."_

"I want to save everybody." Jyou cried, startling Gomamon. "Is it really so wrong to wish for that? Even if it's impossible, if it's childish… why can't I try to save everybody?"

Gomamon felt his heart sink as he saw his partner like that. Jyou simply wanted to help people. It was not because he wanted to be respected. It was not because he wanted everybody else to look up to him and find him cool. A wave of shame enveloped Gomamon, making it hard for him to breathe. He had misunderstood Jyou completely. How much more could the human defy the monster's expectations? Jyou's commitment to helping others was so strong that he put his life aside without hesitation. But even after realizing that, Gomamon could not accept it.

"Why is that so important to you?" Gomamon asked in a serious tone. "Why is your selflessness so extreme that you don't care about putting yourself in danger?"

"I don't like to put myself in danger!" Jyou retorted. "I don't go around being reckless in my everyday life! I only do it when there's something more precious than my life in risk!"

"What is so precious? Other people's lives?" Gomamon inquired, feeling tears in his eyes. "Do you think that your life is not as important as theirs? Is that why you're willing to throw it out like it's nothing?!"

"I don't want to throw my life away, damn it!" Jyou was getting angry.

"Then what is the reason behind your actions?!" Gomamon was trying to understand. "Just tell me, Jyou! Please… why do you rush into danger without listening to what I have to say? Why don't you consider how your actions affect me?"

Drimogemon was beginning to struggle free from Togemon but Jyou did not pay attention to that. His eyes were locked on Gomamon's. The small digimon was not in his usual behavior. _You look so scared… so anxious… did I do that to you, Gomamon?_

"Do you worry about me?" Jyou asked in low voice.

"Of course I do, you idiot!" Gomamon confirmed. "I might not be great at demonstrating that… I'm not exactly the touchy-feely type… but I want you to rely on me! You can trust me to protect you, Jyou."

Jyou had always fought alone. He had always put himself in a "me vs. the world" situation where he was determined to prove that his hard work would lead him to become a fine adult, trying to ignore that he himself was his worst enemy. Jyou was lonely by his own choice and believed that he should not accept anyone's help because that would stain his efforts. But was fighting alone the right way to do things? Was that what an adult should do?

"Do you think I can help others?" Jyou asked his partner. His heart skipped a beat in anticipation.

"I have a lot to learn about you before I can make any affirmation." Gomamon replied. Jyou looked down, sad, but then he heard the digimon adding: "But I want to give my all to help you. So, if you want to save that Drimogemon and whoever else, count on me to have your back."

"Don't be foolish." Leomon said.

Jyou took a deep breath, holding the bottle against his body. Feeling more relaxed, the boy chuckled, looking at Leomon.

"But that's exactly what I should aim to be." He said.

Leomon looked ready to attack, but Gomamon advanced against him and headbutted him in the other's stomach. Then, he proceeded to bite the feline's left arm. Jyou observed his partner fighting for his sake and felt great happiness.

 _I'm sorry, Father. I misunderstood what you told me that time. I'm sorry, Gomamon, Koushiro-kun, Mimi-kun, Takeru-kun, Sora-kun. I had forgotten the most fundamental lesson I have been taught._

Drimogemon threw Togemon off with such force that she couldn't take it. Mimi cried out as her partner fell and devolved.

"A Drimogemon shouldn't be this strong." Palmon was confused. "Are the gears doing this?"

 _There will be times when I'll fail._ Jyou thought. _There are things I'm terrible at. If I keep on denying help, my chances of success will only decrease. If I'm too focused on the fact that I won't be able to save everybody, I will truly help no one. It's time for me to start assuming that I'm going to win._

"I can do anything I want!" Jyou stated as his device glowed.

Gomamon was enveloped in light.

"Gomamon evolves to… IKKAKUMON!"

Ikkakumon was large and covered in thick white fur. He had a horn on the middle of his forehead. Ikkakumon took a few steps back and fired a missile from inside his horn in Leomon's direction. The missile gave Jyou an idea.

"IKKAKUMON, SHOOT THE BOTTLE!" Jyou screamed, throwing the glass bottle over Drimogemon. Ikkakumon did as his partner said and shot a missile. The glass bottle shattered and the healing liquid washed Drimogemon's back. The white and purple digimon screamed as the black gears dissolved and evaporated. Then, he lay down on the snow, exhausted.

"Thank you." Drimogemon whispered, showing them a faint smile.

"It worked." Leomon could not believe his eyes. "But the liquid should only heal physical wounds, wickedness-"

"Drimogemon was sick, he was not wicked or anything like that." Mimi corrected Leomon. "He was just a victim of Devimon."

"I was assigned to take innocent lives?" Leomon asked in horror. "I need an explanation for this. _He_ will give me the answers I want!"

Leomon ran into the woods, getting out of the others' sights quickly.

Ikkakumon devolved back to Gomamon. Jyou lifted his now small partner into the air and hugged him tightly.

"YOU WERE INCREDIBLE, GOMAMON!" The human boy was radiant. Gomamon blushed furiously.

"I…" The small digimon thought about what he should say. "About time you recognized how incredible I am."

"Hahaha, yeah. I guess you're right." Jyou laughed for the first time at one of Gomamon's jokes. The small digimon stared at the other, incredulous.

Mimi and Palmon observed the two.

"It's good to see them getting along." Mimi expressed her joy.

"Yes." Palmon agreed. "But we should get going. The sun is up and the Village of the Beginnings is waiting."

"Let's go, then." Jyou said, putting Gomamon down.

"We're going to walk a long distance." Mimi sighed. "We'd better come up with interesting conversation topics."

"If you're interested, I could tell you the History of Medicine." Jyou suggested. "The first doctor was Hippocrates. He-"

"What's a doctor, Jyou?" Gomamon asked.

"For you to understand that, I need to tell a different story." Jyou replied, gazing at his little friend. "I was four or five years old and was walking a street with Father. And then a young woman approached us."

 **I take this opportunity to thank** **QwertysHuman** **for being my beta and editing my story from the beginning. This chapter, in special, had many wonderful contributions by her and I am truly glad for her hard work and patience. I love everything she does to help me and I can never thank her enough.**


	7. Broken mirror

"Sora!" Taichi called her. He was coming from the other end of the soccer field, grinning and pulling a smaller boy by the arm. "You have to know this guy! He just entered the soccer club!"

 _Taichi is always enthusiastic about new people coming to the club._ Sora thought, giving him a slight smile. The younger boy seemed to be very anxious.

"This is Takenouchi Sora, one of our best players." Taichi introduced the girl to him. "You must be thinking 'why is there a girl in a boys' soccer club?' Well, it's thanks to me. I invited her to join our club so many times that one day she inevitably said 'yes.'"

Sora thought the proud look on Taichi's face was a bit entertaining. That was the version of the facts he believed and she would not object to it.

"Sora, this is Koushiro, he's one grade below us. Come on, Koushiro, tell her why you joined the soccer club." Taichi seemed to be very excited. The smaller boy blushed and stuttered as he properly introduced himself:

"I-I'm Izumi Koushiro, n-nice to meet you. I had to choose a sport for PE and thought that, since soccer requires group work and is not too depended on individual ability, it would be a logical choice-"

"Did you hear how intelligent he sounds? I already love this guy." Taichi interrupted, laughing. Sora thought that her friend had been rude. However, seeing how Koushiro's eyes shone above his red cheeks, she believed the younger boy had taken the compliment to heart. Koushiro seemed to be very shy and Sora wanted to make him feel more at ease.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Koushiro-kun. I hope we get along." She said, with a large smile.

 **Chapter 7: Broken mirror**

 _My leg hurts._ Sora thought as the pain thwarted her attempt to stand. _Is it broken? And it's the same leg from back then!_

The memory of a soccer match during her second grade came to her mind. A girl from the opposing team had kicked her leg so hard that the bone had almost broken. Sora's mother had taken her to a doctor, talking all the time about how brutal that sport was and how she disapproved of the girl playing it. The doctor told Sora that she would be able to play again in a couple of weeks but should not force her leg yet.

However, there was a decisive game the next day and she was the best player in the team.

"Sora, are you alright?" Piyomon asked, approaching the girl.

The fifth grader had fallen on the snow and her left leg had hit a tree during the landing. She had now forced herself to sit and reached for a thick and long branch she could use to support herself. Piyomon had fallen close to her; luckily she did not seem to be hurt by the fall, although the previous injuries were still present.

"I'm alright, don't worry." Sora lied. "I probably just sprained my ankle."

It was dark and the snow fell heavily. The cold wind hurt Sora's arms. Infinity Mountain was ten meters in front of her. The girl saw an avalanche coming down from the plateau where she had been; at the moment, black gears were erupting from the place. Focusing her sight, the fifth grader saw two small figures falling along the snow and hitting the ground.

"Someone fell!" Sora had desperation in her voice. It had to be one of the other kids. The girl stood up with the help of the branch and started walking in the direction of the mountain. The pain in her leg intensified but she was determined to ignore it.

 _They need my help! I can't walk away! I can't let them down!_

"Sora, your leg is bleeding!" Piyomon cried. "Stop walking, you're hurt!"

"They need me…" Sora murmured, insisting on going forward. "They need my help…"

Piyomon did not feel she was strong enough to stop Sora, so the bird digimon followed the human closely, until they got to the base of the mountain. There, they found Tentomon digging in a pile of snow. His breaking voice was calling "K-Koushiro-han! Koushiro-han!"

"Koushiro-kun is under the snow?!" Sora asked as she kneeled and started digging too. The weight on her injured leg made her want to scream but she refused to concern Piyomon, who had begun digging too. It did not take long for Sora to find snow tainted red. The girl pulled the snow more frenetically and uncovered the face of the fourth grader boy. It was when she held the back of his head that she noted that Koushiro was bleeding profusely.

The terror paralyzed Sora.

 _He hit his head! Was it while he was falling? He hit his head on the wall of the mountain? This is bad! This is terrible! What am I going to do? He needs to go to a hospital but I don't even know if there are hospitals in this place! What am I going to do? How can I help him? If I don't do anything, Koushiro-kun… is Koushiro-kun going to die? Is he going to die? Can't I do anything for him?_

"Sora-han!" Tentomon called the girl back to reality. The fifth grader noticed that both the digimon had uncovered the rest of the boy's body. Koushiro was deadly pale. "Please, Sora-han, help us take Koushiro-han out of the snow."

Sora could not say anything. She felt her heart beat more rapidly and it was becoming hard for her to breathe. The girl diverted her eyes from the unconscious boy and looked at Tentomon. Although it was not possible to see facial expressions on the face of the insect digimon, the way he moved his arms showed how nervous and concerned he was. Sora then looked at Piyomon, whose big blue eyes were filled with worry and were fixed on the girl. She felt herself being enveloped by fear and wanted more than anything in the world to cry for help but she could not. Sora looked up and found a horrific vision.

The refrigerator that had been found on the plateau was barely balancing on a rock on the wall of the mountain, fifteen meters above. The strong wind made it shake. It was obvious that the heavy object was about to fall, probably on Koushiro.

It was like Sora had been hit by lightning and the energy made her move without thinking. When she realized it, she had already grabbed Koushiro by the shoulders and was pulling him out of the pile of snow with the help of the two digimon. Her mind had become strangely clear. Her body was moved by the power of her determination to help Koushiro.

As soon as they managed to move him, the refrigerator fell in the hole they had dug and the most unbelievable thing happened. The ground beneath the snow broke with a loud crack sound and they were swallowed by darkness.

All Sora could understand was that she was falling in an open and vast space. There was something emanating light from below them and the girl noticed its reflex on a wavy surface.

"WATER!" The fifth grader managed to shout before arranging her arms in a way that they would hit the surface before her head. She sank in what felt like warm liquid and, to her surprise, Sora was able to easily swim back to the surface. Her leg did not hurt anymore.

After putting her head out and grasping for air, Sora found Piyomon hovering above her head, offering to get the girl out of the water. The fifth grader turned around and only saw Tentomon flying over the mass of liquid, looking for his partner. A huge golden tree could be seen in the middle of the lake, emanating light that reached its borders.

"Koushiro-kun is still in the water!" Sora's voice was urgent. She held her breath and submerged herself in the lake, trying to locate him. The liquid was dark and the only visible things were the golden roots and trunk of the giant tree. _Did Koushiro-kun drown?_ The girl's panic was rising.

"Sora-san!" She heard Koushiro's voice and turned around, in confusion. The fourth grader was swimming in her direction and kept talking. "Sora-san, what is this liquid? How can we breathe here?"

"AH!" The girl exclaimed, covering her mouth reflexively. But no water had entered her mouth. She risked taking a breath and was shocked to realize that it felt like she was taking in air. _But I'm swimming in this! It feels like water!_

"I wonder how large this place is, I can't see anything if I swim away from the roots." Koushiro seemed to be thinking aloud.

"Koushiro-kun, we have to go up! I need to take a look at the back of your head!" Sora told him.

"Why?" Koushiro looked confused.

"You had hurt it pretty bad and passed out. I thought you were going to…" Sora did not finish the sentence. The thought of what had almost happened to her kouhai made her feel like her insides were freezing. "Let's go up, already. Can you swim?"

"Y-yes." Koushiro nodded. They both emerged almost at the same time. Tentomon flew to his partner immediately, pulling him out.

"Koushiro-han, you're awake! I was so worried about you!" The digimon was nearly crying.

"I woke up at the bottom of this lake…" Koushiro seemed to be lost in thought. "Where are we?"

"Underground." Sora replied, swimming to the border of the lake. Piyomon offered to pull the girl out like Tentomon had done to Koushiro, but Sora refused, muttering that Piyomon was too hurt to do that. It was when Sora reached the border and got out that the realization hit her.

"How are you two flying?" She asked, astonished. "Weren't you too hurt to do that?"

"I think the water of the lake healed us." Piyomon explained in a cheerful voice. "I feel full of energy."

"I believe I can even use electricity now." Tentomon said after putting Koushiro on the ground. Sora went to where the boy was and asked to take a look at the back of his head. The light coming from the tree was weak but the girl could tell that there was no sign of injury on the fourth grader.

"Thank goodness!" She exclaimed, relieved. "It seems that you're going to be fine now, Koushiro-kun."

"Sorry for worrying you." Koushiro muttered, sounding ashamed.

"What are you apologizing for? It wasn't your fault that you fell from the mountain." Sora giggled. But she suddenly froze, remembering what had happened on the plateau. "Takeru-kun!"

"Takeru-kun and Patamon were taken away by that monster to a place called Village of the Beginnings." Koushiro had an apologetic tone of voice. "We were not able to stop him."

"Devimon said he would be waiting for us. I bet that he won't do any harm to Takeru-han before we get there." Tentomon tried to comfort the children.

"The Village is at the other side of the mountain." Piyomon exposed. "We can get there quickly if we fly but we need to wait until the storm ends. For what we were told, it always ends by the morning."

"Isn't there another way?" Sora asked, anxiously. "I can't just stay here doing nothing while Takeru-kun is at that creature's mercy! And there's Jyou-sempai and Mimi-chan too! I doubt they had the same luck as us! They could be severely hurt or worse!"

"I don't think there's anything we can do for them now." Koushiro said, upset.

Sora braced herself, wishing that her arms would stop shaking. She looked at the ground, not wanting to let the others see small tears forming in her eyes. She could not stop imagining how many horrible things could have happened to Takeru-kun, Jyou-sempai and Mimi-chan. She had not been able to stop any of that. However, the girl could not allow herself to appear weak. Sora had to be strong for everybody's sake. She should not worry them nor put them in danger. The fifth grader thought about what Koushiro had been through because she had left him alone with Tentomon. And now the boy had just recovered from another near death experience in the same day. Even if he did not seem too shaken, Sora knew that he had to be. She also knew her kouhai enough to realize that he was not the type to oppose others, even if he pretty much only interacted with Taichi. _If I insist on going now after Takeru-kun and the others, Koushiro-kun would probably come along. Our digimon could get hurt trying to fly in this storm and we could freeze to death. And I would be responsible for all of it._

"Let's wait here until the storm ends." Sora had a defeated tone. She sat on the floor of polished rock, next to the border of the lake, and pressed her knees against her body.

"Sora, how is your leg?" Piyomon asked, getting closer to her. "The blood from your pant leg is gone."

"It seems that it was healed too." The girl replied, lifting the hem of her pants and not finding any injury.

"Sorry for not being able to carry you back then." Piyomon apologized. "Because of my injuries, you forced yourself to walk that distance in order to get to Koushiro. It must have hurt a lot."

"You did that for me?" Koushiro's voice was devoid of happiness. Sora guessed that he was feeling guilty about the situation and would not allow that.

"I had just sprained my ankle and now it's healed. There's no reason for any of you to feel down." The girl said, forcing a smile.

Koushiro looked at her without saying anything. Then, he called Tentomon and asked him to use one of his attacks to let them see their surroundings better.

Tentomon shot lightning up and illuminated the place for a few seconds. The space was roughly circular, and there was a large something silhouetted to their left.

"A giant woman!" Piyomon shouted, pointing to where the silhouette was.

"I think it was just a statue." Koushiro pointed out. He picked his laptop from his backpack and turned it on, using the light from the screen to illuminate the surroundings. The boy walked forward, followed by the others, and reached a wall with hieroglyphs written on it. _Just like that battery_ , Koushiro thought, a cold feeling ran through his body and the boy forced himself not to think about what had happened that day. There was no time to dwell on those events; he had to do something useful, something that would help the others. He noticed that one of the hieroglyphs was partially erased, so the fourth grader put the laptop down and picked a pen from his backpack to fix it. After he did that, the lights were turned on.

The children and their digimon were inside a dome of at least 20 meters of diameter. The top of the curved roof seemed to be made of glass. Sora noticed that it was now completely sealed, even though they had broken through the top to get in. Above the hieroglyphs there was a map of an island with a huge mountain in its middle.

"The Village of the Beginnings!" Koushiro exclaimed, pointing to a name written next to the image of the mountain.

"It's at the other side of the mountain, like I said." Piyomon told them.

"It's said that the base of Infinity Mountain is cursed and, because of that, every night there's a snowstorm here. No digimon who has tried to fight the storm has survived." Tentomon told them. "That's why we have to wait here until it stops."

"I don't think we need to wait that long." Koushiro said, pointing to the left. There was a five meters tall statue of a woman in armor holding a spear, with a helmet that covered her eyes and wings at her back in that direction. However, Koushiro was indicating five square holes on the wall that seemed to lead to tunnels. "I believe one of those might take us to the Village of the Beginnings through a passage under the mountain. If I break the code on the wall, I could tell you for sure which path we should take."

"Can you really do that, Koushiro-kun?" Sora asked, excitedly. Although the boy was glad that the girl had become less upset, he got nervous over assuming that responsibility. He was pretty much guessing that the code when deciphered would show a map for the tunnels and that a path to the Village would appear. It would be irresponsible to let Sora's hopes high because of an uncertain plan like that. In spite of it, the fourth grader did not find it in him to tell Sora that it was not guaranteed that his idea would work.

"I'll do my best not to let you down." He promised, faking a smile.

"Okay." Sora seemed to be genuinely happy.

Koushiro sat on the floor and picked the laptop up, putting it on his lap. Sora sat by his side.

"It's lucky that my laptop is still working despite being submerged in water." The boy commented. "Do you think that the healing liquid works on machines as well?"

"I think it fixed the roof somehow, so I don't see why it would not work on machines." Sora gave her opinion.

"Sora-san…" Koushiro started. "I don't think I had the chance to properly thank you for everything you've done for me."

"Don't worry about that, Koushiro-kun." Sora did not sound happy. _Why is he thanking me? It's not like I managed to help him in any way. I just keep on failing and letting others down._

"But you risked yourself so much, Sora-san." Koushiro insisted, looking at the girl. "If it wasn't for your effort I-"

"Koushiro-kun, stop." Sora interrupted him. She got up and turned her back to the boy. "You don't need to thank me for anything, seriously."

 _Did I offend her?_ Koushiro thought, fearful. _What did I do wrong this time? Why do I have to be so incompetent at this?_

Sora did not say anything else and the boy no longer insisted on the conversation. He believed that he would probably make Sora more upset if he kept talking. The best thing he could do was to focus on the problem in front of him.

Sora looked down and noticed that she was already dry. Maybe she had not been wet from the beginning. But those mysteries did not impress her; she had too many things to worry about.

"It's so sweet!" Piyomon exclaimed loudly. Sora turned to the direction of the other's voice and saw the pair of digimon eating golden apples.

"Where did you get those? Are they from the tree in the lake?" The girl inquired.

"The water healed our injuries, so I thought that if we ate the fruits we could become stronger." Tentomon explained.

"Don't eat that, you don't know what it could do to you!" Sora scolded them.

"I'm sleepy… I think I'm going to take a nap." Piyomon informed as she lay down.

"Me too…" Tentomon did the same.

"Whatever." Sora sighed. She looked around and saw no trace of the refrigerator. _It's probably at the bottom of the lake. I'm not going there to look for it._

Sora approached Koushiro again and took a look at the back of his head. The lack of injury did not diminish her guilt.

"I thought you were going to die." The girl murmured. "I seriously thought you were going to die."

Koushiro did not react. Sora remembered of their time in the soccer club. The boy used to pick up his laptop in the breaks and was so focused in what he was doing that it was nearly impossible to break his concentration.

"You're not listening to me anymore, right?" Sora smirked. "It's best this way. I shouldn't let you know how afraid I was."

It felt good to talk about her feelings, especially because she was certain that nobody was actually hearing what she was saying.

"You all look up to me, without knowing the real Sora. And you're so kind that you don't criticize me for all I could not do for you. I do my best to take care of everybody but I know… Koushiro-kun, I know the day is coming when you all will inevitably see that I'm not actually strong or sweet. I know that I'm going to let you down and you'll turn your back on me. That's just how it is. I can only wish that this day doesn't come quickly… and that I can take you all home before it does…"

A memory emerged in her mind. The day she had hurt her leg, after returning home, Aki-chan from the girls' soccer team called her.

 _"Hello, Sora-chan. Are you alright? You haven't broken anything, right?"_

 _"The doctor said that my leg is not broken-"_

 _"That's great! It means that you can play tomorrow, right?"_

 _"Uhm…" Sora had hesitated. The doctor's recommendation was for her not to force her leg for a couple of weeks._

 _"You're our best player, Sora-chan! And tomorrow are the semifinals. You can play, right? Please, tell me that you can play."_

 _"Yes!" Sora tried to sound reassuring. "Of course I can play, I know how important tomorrow's game is. I'm definitely not going to let you down!"_

The girl went to take a closer look at the statue. The giant woman looked beautiful and strong. _I wonder if that is the Goddess Andromon was talking about._

She noticed a helmet parted in two pieces at the feet of the statue. It seemed to cover the eyes of its user but it did not resemble the one the statue woman was wearing. Close to it, there was a white hand mirror with a pearl at its top. There was only a small piece of glass that remained in the object. When Sora touched the broken mirror, it was as if she had become someone else.

She was kneeling in front of the statue, her body felt larger and heavier. She had taken off the helmet that blinded her and threw it at the ground with all of her strength. She looked up at the statue, trembling in anger and sorrow.

"WHAT EXCUSES DO YOU HAVE NOW?!" Sora yelled, but her voice was masculine and deep. "WHAT WAS THAT TALK ABOUT MERCY AND KINDNESS? ABOUT TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE ENEMY?!"

Hot tears came down from her eyes in a flow. It felt like the first time in a long period that she had been able to cry. The agony devoured her soul as she kept screaming.

"What did you say when you banished me after I killed one of our enemies?! You said that I was wrong! That I was evil for taking a child's life! Just like I had been evil for sending Adromon after those traitors! BUT LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED! LOOK AT WHAT YOUR FOOLISHNESS DID TO YOU!"

She held her head with both hands and pulled her long and blond hair.

"I was right… look at what the children you felt sorry for did to you! I don't know if I'll ever see your face again. I don't know if I'll ever listen to your voice again… I should've killed them all when I had the chance! But what is the point now? I don't know if you can still watch over me... I'm alone, Mother, just like before you found me. And this is worse than death."

The girl stood up and glanced at her hands. Her fingers became longer and started to resemble claws and jet-black cloth was starting to cover her body.

"I wonder if you accepted the Truth in the end, Mother." Her voice became even deeper and colder. "Compassion is wrong!"

Sora gasped as she fell on her back. The girl let go of the mirror and looked at her hands. _These are my hands! I'm back to my body!_ She sat up and touched her face and her hair. She was herself again.

 _What was that? It was like I was inside someone else's mind. Could it be…? Was that Devimon? Did I just see how he became what he is now? The broken mirror somehow stored his memory?_

"Koushiro-kun!" Sora called the boy, who continued to type.

Sora picked the mirror up again but nothing happened. After that, she ran to where Koushiro was, sat by his side and tapped his shoulder a bit harshly. When he faced her, she tried to explain what she had experienced.

"Devimon… in the mirror! I mean… I saw his memory!"

"What?" Koushiro seemed to be puzzled. "Could I take a look at the mirror?"

Without thinking, Sora handed the object to the boy, who was paralyzed the second he touched the mirror. His eyes had turned wide and blank; the girl wondered if he was seeing the same things she had seen. After a couple of minutes, Koushiro lowered his hand and put the mirror on the floor. He looked down and had what Sora assumed to be a mortified expression. The fourth grader was deadly pale.

"Did you see it?" Sora asked, anxiously. "Devimon was talking about killing a child! And it seems that he lost his mother and was grieving. What do you think?"

Koushiro contracted his eyebrows and trembled.

"I'm sorry." He murmured, still facing the floor.

"What are you apologizing for?" The girl inquired, not understanding the boy's behavior.

"I…" Koushiro seemed to hesitate. "I did not see Devimon's memory."

Sora found that statement suspicious.

"If that's true, what are you so disturbed about?"

"I-I'm not disturbed." Koushiro tried to sound calm but his voice cracked. He looked at the laptop's screen and indicated that he wanted to continue his work. "I'm almost finished… soon I'll know which path leads to the Village of the Beginnings."

"What did you see when you held the mirror?" Sora asked in a serious voice.

"Please, Sora-san…" Koushiro begged.

"What are you hiding from me? I have the right not to be lied to!" Sora was getting upset. Why was Koushiro doing that? Did he not trust her? They had known each other for years and she was his sempai, and in spite of that he still couldn't trust her?

"It's possible…" Koushiro started talking in a lower voice. "I think that… when someone holds the mirror… the mirror shows a memory of whoever held it previously… an intense and hurtful memory…"

"Then Devimon held the mirror previously and that's why I saw his memory."

"I did not see Devimon's memory." Koushiro did not want to openly acknowledge what had happened but, at the same time, he did not want to lie to the girl. His conflicted feelings led him to pray for Sora to guess the meaning behind his words and not ask anything further. "I'm so sorry, Sora-san."

When Sora understood what Koushiro was trying to tell her, she felt like her heart had fallen to her stomach.

"You can't mean…" The girl wanted to hold on the hope that she had misunderstood it. "You saw a memory of mine?"

Koushiro nodded, ashamed. Sora turned around and looked at the opposite direction of him.

"Which memory did you see?" She questioned, trying to hide her panic.

"We don't need to discuss this."

"Which memory, Koushiro-kun?"

"Can't we pretend it didn't happen?"

"No! Which memory did you see?"

"I'm sorry, Sora-san."

"I DON'T WANT YOUR APOLOGIES!" Sora yelled, punching the floor. She could feel her spirit breaking apart and was sure that she would not be able to keep her cool. Koushiro had looked inside her mind. He had felt whatever she had felt during the events of the memory. The girl would not be able to pretend that nothing had happened. She would not have peace if Koushiro did not tell her what he had seen. "I need to know. Please, Koushiro-kun… I need to know."

Koushiro felt that he could start crying at any moment. He understood how horrible it was to have someone else invading your most secret thoughts against your will. He could not forgive himself for doing the same to Sora, even if unwillingly. It was something he could not undo and he was sure that if he talked about it Sora would only feel worse. But the girl was confronting him; she demanded to know the truth and Koushiro was not entitled to oppose her wish. With his heart breaking, he told her the truth.

"Your leg was hurt." Koushiro muttered. "You wanted to go to a soccer game but your mother had turned your alarm off and you would not make it in time… you had a discussion with her and ran from your home… your leg was hurting so much but you didn't care because you wanted to assist your teammates. You found the other girls coming back from the game but they did not talk to you… and that hurt more than any physical injury."

Sora held her legs against her body and hid her face behind them. She remembered that day all too well.

 _"How could you do that? How could you turn my alarm off, now I'll never make it to the game!"_

 _"Don't yell, Sora. You're disturbing the flowers."_

 _"You heard me talking to Aki-chan yesterday, didn't you?"_

 _"Yes. How could you make such an irresponsible promise?"_

 _"I know what I'm doing!"_

 _"Sit down, Sora."_

 _She had sat behind her mother, who was working on a flower arrangement._

 _"Ugh." Sora let the interjection of pain escape her lips._

 _"You can barely sit. It hurts when you walk. And you want to go to that game?"_

 _"It's an important game! My friends need me!"_

 _"It's not important! And if those girls don't care about you playing injured then I doubt that 'friends' is a good word to call them."_

 _The girl had stood up. She felt like crying but would not do that with her mother around._

 _"You just want me to be kicked out from the team." Sora accused. "You hate that I'm doing something that I like and that I have friends who appreciate me for being good at it!"_

 _"Stop acting immature, Sora. I'm just thinking about what's best for you!"_

 _"You don't care about me! You only care about the heiress of your stupid Ikebana tradition!"_

 _"Sora!"_

 _"Why don't you understand?"_

Sora had never told anyone about that. She had wished nobody would ever find it out. And now Koushiro knew. The shy kouhai of her soccer club with whom she rarely interacted without Taichi's mediation knew her most private secret. She could no longer fool him into thinking she was strong or dependable. Not only did Koushiro see her darkness, he felt it. All her anger, sadness and guilt...he had directly experienced it.

"Thank you for telling me." Sora stood up, without turning around. "Sorry for yelling at you… and for everything else."

Koushiro saw her walking away, everything in her voice and her body language shouted that she was depressed. But he believed that there was nothing he could do about it. Koushiro had discovered everything by accident and he had already told her how sorry he was. He was not close enough to Sora to dare to give her advice. Not to mention that he had terrible people skills and would probably make everything worse if he tried to comfort Sora. He decided to focus his entire attention on figuring out which corridor led to the Village of the Beginnings. Maybe that would make the girl feel better.

"I got it!" Koushiro exclaimed enthusiastically after approximately half an hour. He looked for Sora and found her sitting next to the lake. The fourth grader ran to where she was and shared his discovery.

"The tunnel at the extreme left is the one that we have to take to go to the Village. It's mostly straight so we shouldn't take too long to get there."

"That's great, Koushiro-kun." Sora replied in an unhappy tone, without looking at him. "I'll go wake Piyomon and Tentomon up."

Sora's reaction shattered Koushiro's heart. He was sure that she would feel better if he found a way to rescue Takeru-kun. But even that was not enough. Guilt took a grip of his entire being and made him shake.

"Sora-san!" Koushiro called her by impulse. When the fifth grader turned around to face him, he panicked because he had not planned anything to say. "I…"

"I'm not angry at you, Koushiro-kun. Please, don't worry about that." Sora believed that was what he was going to say.

"It doesn't matter how I feel!" Koushiro interjected. "Is there something I can do, Sora-san? Is there a way to make things better?"

"It's not something that can be repaired, Koushiro-kun. Besides, it was my own fault for giving that mirror to you, don't stress yourself over it." Sora did not want the boy to feel bad. Why was he worrying about her, anyway? Was he not disappointed at her for lying to Taichi about her reasons to enter the boys' soccer club? Was he not condemning her for not being of help to her friends when they needed her skill to win the game?

A sparkle passed through Koushiro's eyes, which made Sora think that he had an idea. The boy ran back to where he had left his laptop and picked the broken mirror from the floor. He then returned with the object and offered it to Sora.

"What are you trying to do?" Sora asked in a serious voice.

"It's going to be alright like this, isn't it?" Koushiro asked anxiously, the hand offering the mirror trembled. "I-if you see a memory of mine-"

"No!" Sora cut him off, clenching her fists.

"Please, Sora-san." Koushiro pleaded. "I don't know how else I can make it up with you."

"You don't actually want me to see one of your memories! If that were the case, you would just tell me what you want me to know!"

"This isn't about me…"

"Then what is it about, Koushiro-kun?" Sora raised her voice. "Do you think I'm petty to the point that I would feel better for making someone else go through what I'm going now?"

"I don't find you petty in the slightest, Sora-san!" Koushiro protested.

"So stop with this nonsensical behavior! I'm not going to peek into your mind!"

"W-what do I do, then?" Koushiro's voice broke and tears started brimming in his eyes. "I don't know how to fix this! I-I don't know how to make everything less bad."

"Why are you concerned about it?!" Sora inquired, trying to understand. "This wasn't your fault, besides…"

Sora looked down, shaking. She was afraid to ask that question but she had to know.

"What do you think of me now, Koushiro-kun?" She murmured, not daring to look at the boy's eyes.

Koushiro blinked, confused.

"Do you think my opinion of you changed?" He questioned in disbelief.

"Be honest, Koushiro-kun, please." Sora asked.

The boy took a deep breath before replying.

"I particularly think that you were unfair to your mother. However, I don't know enough about your situation, so I could be wrong." Koushiro answered shyly. _I hope I didn't upset her more for saying this._

"You're right about not knowing enough." Sora muttered. "Honestly, I don't want to talk about her."

"What do you want to talk about?" The boy asked.

"Do you remember when we met each other and Taichi told you that he was the person who convinced me to join the boys' soccer club?"

Koushiro frowned. He thought he knew where that conversation was going.

"You didn't tell him that you were expelled from the girls' club." Koushiro theorized.

"I wasn't expelled… they didn't have to tell me anything. In fact, my friends weren't talking to me at all." Sora confessed. "Taichi always tried to convince me to join his club and one day I just said 'yes' and let him think he had credit for that decision."

"Then you didn't actively lie to Taichi-san." Koushiro murmured, sounding guilty. He let his arms fall by the sides of his body and looked away. "Unlike me."

Sora was startled to hear that.

"Are you saying that you lied to Taichi?"

"I'm not exactly an honest person." Koushiro admitted. "That story about choosing the soccer club for logical reasons was an excuse I told my parents… and then I just repeated it to everybody else."

"Why? What was the real reason for you to join the soccer club?" Sora was curious.

"My father used to tell stories about when he was in the soccer club of his school." Koushiro narrated, gloomily. "He said that he loved to play soccer more than anything in the world."

"So he wanted you to play soccer and be just like him." Sora concluded.

"My parents never tried to force me to do anything." Koushiro stated. "They are very kind and are always concerned about me."

"Oh." Sora felt ashamed for projecting her problems on the boy. At the same time, she also felt envious of what he had described. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Koushiro said in a comforting tone.

"Then, Koushiro-kun, what was the reason for you to join the club?" Sora asked gently, looking at the boy. The fourth grader looked up to her eyes. He seemed more relaxed than before.

"I wanted to love soccer." He replied.

"Eh?" Sora was not sure if she had understood it.

"I thought that if I loved soccer, I would have that in common with my father." The boy explained. "I wished I could be similar to my parents in some way."

Sora was confused by that statement.

"You want to be similar to your parents?" She asked, astonished.

"Do you find that strange?"

"I'm probably not the best person to understand your feelings." Sora said in an apologetic tone. "It's almost like we're opposites… you must think very lowly of me."

Sora imagined how Koushiro should have felt when he saw the argument between her and her mother. _I bet he finds me inconsiderate and ungrateful now._

"I think you are a kind person, Sora-san."

Koushiro's answer shocked the girl. Seeing how wide her eyes had become, the fourth grader thought he should elaborate his reply better:

"You go to great lengths to help people. You don't want to worry others or make them feel bad. It's not my place to say this but I think you might be too harsh with yourself… but I believe I understand that."

Sora felt her eyes getting humid and instinctively turned around. She did not understand how Koushiro could still think so highly of her and yet she could not doubt his sincerity.

"Thank you." The girl muttered. A couple of tears fell from her eyes. "Honestly, thank you."

"Thank you for everything you've done for me and everybody else, Sora-san." Koushiro said with a genuine smile. "I'm glad I have met you."

Sora and Koushiro had never been close before. However, at that moment, the distance between them seemed to have almost disappeared.

"SOORAAAAA!" Piyomon's cry caught their attention. The bird digimon flew to Sora's arms and hugged the girl tightly. "You were being swallowed by darkness! I tried to reach you but you kept me away! I couldn't save you no matter what I did!"

"What are you talking about, Piyomon?" Sora was worried. "Did you have a nightmare?"

"It didn't feel like a dream! It was so real, Sora." Piyomon cried, hugging the girl more fiercely. "I'm so scared."

"Don't be silly, Piyomon, I'm right here with you. I'm not going anywhere." Sora did her best to sound reassuring, with no effect.

It took several minutes for Sora to calm her partner down. In the meanwhile, Tentomon woke up. Koushiro went toward him but the insect digimon barely moved. The boy's partner simply stared at him in silence.

"Is there something wrong, Tentomon? Did you have a nightmare too?" The fourth grader asked in concern.

"No… it was just a stupid dream, nothing to worry about." Tentomon did not sound convincing.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really, thank you." Tentomon said. Koushiro noticed that his partner was now staring at the mirror the boy was still holding.

"This is…" The fourth grader was thinking of a way to explain what the mirror was without having to tell what had happened to Sora. "It seems that Devimon had recorded a memory in the mirror."

Tentomon stretched one of his arms and asked in an unemotional voice: "Let me take a closer look at it."

Koushiro gulped. Even if it was Tentomon, the boy did not wish to have someone else looking at a memory of his.

"It stopped working after I saw Devimon's memory." Sora came to the boy's rescue, approaching him and leaving Piyomon behind. "It's useless now. You should throw it away, Koushiro-kun."

Koushiro smiled at the girl with gratitude. He got closer to the border of the lake and threw the mirror in the liquid. The object sank and was now lost in the darkness.

"Now you don't have to worry about someone invading your thoughts." The girl whispered.

Koushiro stayed silent for a minute, before murmuring "not anymore."

Tentomon observed the children without saying anything. That mirror had been in his nightmare and he was glad to see it disappear.

"Koushiro-kun figured out which tunnel we should take to get to the Village. Let's go." Sora said in a cheerful voice. Koushiro used his laptop to illuminate the path and they all entered the corridor he had indicated.

Piyomon would not leave Sora's side. Tentomon followed Koushiro closely, not able to take his eyes off him. An unknown voice had told the insect something in his dream that scared the digimon deeply.

 _"The boy you fight so much to protect will bring himself his own end."_

 **I've always felt that the original anime could have explored more of the friendship between Sora and Koushiro. I see a lot of potential in their relationship so I'll work more on it.** **I hope you liked this chapter.**


	8. The youngest child

The little mammal digimon woke up on a pillow. Startled, he found himself on a bed in the center of an oval room. The walls seemed to be sculpted out of rock. Close by, there was a woman wearing armor who was sitting on an armchair. Her eyes were hidden by a helmet, but the tiny digimon was sure that she could see. He had never met her before but the sight of her filled his heart with warmth.

"You shouldn't have left the Village of the Beginnings, Patamon. Elecmon was very concerned about you." She said. Her voice was serious and deep but somehow sounded like music to his ears.

"All the other digimon leave when they evolve for the first time. I had already evolved twice but Elecmon insisted on keeping me there." Patamon complained. "I had to run away!"

"Because of your reckless behavior, that Ogremon almost killed you." The woman pointed out.

"Why did he do that?" Patamon asked. "It was like he was scared of me."

The other bit her lower lip, as if pondering whether she should tell the truth. The woman stood up and went to the bed, where she sat by Patamon's side.

"Nowadays I'm called 'Queen,' 'Goddess,' and for a small group of digimon, 'Mother.' But I was once called something else by someone who had been my equal. Our eggs had hatched at the same time and we were always together. He used to say that I was his twin sister." She spoke with nostalgia. "I remember him as kind and brave… he had been that for a long time. Until when he became obsessed with 'saving the world,' which almost led to the destruction of everything." Her voice became lower and melancholic. "Although it hurt me immensely, I knew I was the only one who could stop his reign of terror. And once I took his life, so many oppressed digimon began to worship me. They thought I was the heroine who had freed them from the tyrant Seraphimon."

Patamon paled. He had heard stories about the murderous angel and the Goddess that had saved the world but could not believe he was in front of her. In person, she did not seem as majestic as the tales portrayed her. There was an air of humbleness and sadness emanating from that woman.

"The thing is, Patamon…" She continued. "Seraphimon was once a Patamon too. And to this day there are many digimon scared of his return, so you can imagine why it's difficult to find Patamons nowadays. That Ogremon attacked you because he feared that you were Seraphimon reborn and one day would bring tragedy to this world again."

"I'm not that Seraphimon!" Patamon protested.

"Digimon rarely remember their previous lives. You could very well be him." She sounded fatalist. "Maybe you'll eventually remember who you are and take my life in revenge."

"I'll never become Seraphimon! And I swear I will never harm you!" Patamon stated. He could not imagine himself doing anything against the Queen. Although he did not understand the reason, the mere thought of her suffering caused him pain.

"I really want to believe in that." She murmured.

"How about this?" Patamon had an idea. "You can watch me closely for the rest of my life and, if you ever suspect that I am that Seraphimon, you can kill me."

"Why do you want to stay with me?" The woman inquired in a serious tone.

"I don't want to go back to that village nor do I want to be attacked by another random digimon, besides…" He hesitated, "there's something special about you… I really want to be with you."

The woman stayed silent for a couple of minutes, until she gave in.

"Okay then, Patamon. You're under my care now."

 **Chapter 8: The youngest child**

Devimon landed on an open field and dropped Takeru and Patamon on the grass. To their right, Infinity Mountain could be seen in the distance. The sun had already disappeared on the horizon. The little boy quickly picked his friend up and hugged him against his body. He stared at the evil digimon with ferocity but deep down the human was scared. Takeru stood up slowly, not taking his eyes off the enemy.

"Are you afraid?" Devimon asked emotionlessly.

"W-why did you bring me here?" Takeru's voice cracked.

Devimon pointed to their left. The human looked in that direction and was able to make out what resembled towers and square buildings a couple hundreds of meters in the distance.

"That's the Village of the Beginnings." The adult digimon announced. "It's the place where all the digimon are born and where they all return after death, so they can be reborn. But when the digimon are reborn, they don't remember their previous lives… they could've done terrible things and still believe they're innocent."

"You didn't answer my question." Takeru said. "Why did you bring me here? And what about the others?"

Takeru felt that he could begin to cry at any moment. He did not know if Sora and the other children had survived the fall.

"It would be very disappointing if the so called 'chosen children,' the 'saviors of this world,' died so easily. I'm sure they are coming to the Village, after you." Devimon sounded bitter. "But I wonder if there will still be a Village there when they arrive."

"What do you mean?" Takeru asked, tense.

"I have cast a spell on the Village. Anyone can cross the red line around it and enter the place but it's impossible to leave as long as my heart is beating. Tomorrow, when the sun sets, I'll destroy that village and kill every living being in there." Devimon's voice was menacing and cruel.

"Y-you're joking." Patamon reacted, in shock. "Not even you would murder babies!"

"Why wouldn't I do it?" Devimon smirked. "All of the digimon reborn there are traitors. They deserve to suffer as much as every other digimon who dares to live happily at the cost of _her_ sacrifice. They're just filth that needs to be cleaned."

"You wouldn't dare!" Takeru roared, forgetting the fear and the danger he was in.

"It wouldn't be the first time I took a child's life." Devimon said, coldly.

Back when he was an angel and the first chosen children had been brought to the Digital World, he had made the decision to protect his Mother at any cost.

"It was a human a little older than you." Devimon began his story. "I cut his throat in a single strike. I would have eliminated all of the enemies if she had not stopped me."

He still remembered how loud were the cries of the dead boy's older sister and how the almighty Goddess had lowered her head and attempted to apologize in his place. However, it was impossible to pursue reconciliation after what happened. "Those children had come to this world to fight Mother, I had every right to kill them… if she had not stopped me, they would have not become so strong. Her compassion caused her downfall."

Takeru could not fully understand what the other was telling him. Every word of Devimon was carried with anger and sadness. The adult digimon remembered what happened once he had been taken back to the Sanctuary.

" _What were you thinking?"_ The Mother inquired in deep anger. The light from the golden tree highlighted the tension in her body. _"How could you kill that child?"_

" _I did what was necessary. They are your enemies!"_ He defended himself. How could she not see that he was in the right?

" _How can you keep on justifying your crimes that way?"_ She questioned in disgust. _"That's the same excuse you used when you ordered Andromon to attack those scientists! I should've done something about you sooner."_

" _You know very well what those scientists were doing!"_ He retorted, angrily. _"That Homeostasis thing was nothing more than an attempt at replicating the Spirit of the World! They wanted to defy your power!"_

" _Assumptions are everything you always had!"_ The Mother now sounded heartbroken. _"That paranoia of yours made the Academy declare war at us! They brought innocent children to fight for them and now, because of what you did, you turned one of those kids into a martyr! You shattered all possibilities of a peaceful resolution to this conflict!"_

" _You lowered your head and apologized and all they did was make their digimon evolve and attack you!"_ He would not give up on trying to make the Mother see the Truth. _"You were stronger than them! You could have killed them all but instead you fled like a coward!"_

" _Compassion is not cowardice, Angemon!"_ She roared. _"You have no respect for the lives of others. You do not comprehend the importance of peace!"_

" _It's you who does not understand anything, Mother!"_ He accused. _"It's you who does not appreciate all I've done!"_

" _Then stop doing it!"_ The woman ordered. _"Leave, immediately."_

Angemon stared at her in shock. _"What are you talking about?"_

" _Consider yourself banished. I don't want to see you anymore."_ She told him coldly.

Angemon could feel the rage flooding his heart and taking control of his body.

" _The Academy and those humans do not deserve your compassion!"_ He shouted. _"I'll make you understand that! I'll make you see the evil in all of them!"_

" _The only evil I see is in you, Angemon."_ She pointed out, sad.

" _You'll regret this!"_

Once banished, Angemon did not speak to the Mother until after the grim events that came to happen. But he could never forget that he was right. If only she had done as he wanted, everything would have been different. She would be there with him. But now the time finally had come. He would show her how wrong she was about human children.

"Look at you now." Devimon taunted Takeru. "The children they've brought now are even younger and yet they expect you to murder us? And while you fight for their sake, those low lives get to live happily? I can't stand it! I'll destroy you all! I'll destroy everything!"

"Then why haven't you killed me yet? Why haven't you killed Sora-san and the others yet?" Takeru asked him.

"Ordinary death is not enough for you." Devimon responded. "I want you to see those infants dying in my hands. I want you to know how pointless your lives are."

"You won't kill anyone! We won't let you!" Takeru swore.

"If you are so confident, cross the line and wait for me in the Village." The adult digimon had a menacing expression. "I'll make sure to kill you last."

Devimon flew away, leaving Takeru and Patamon on the grass field. His bat wings flipped fast as he headed to the top of Infinity Mountain, half of a mile in his front, under the light of the first stars to appear. Devimon glanced down, to the clouds forming below and starting a storm. Exactly like all the other storms that happened every night since _she_ had left the world.

" _My mood influences the surroundings of the mountain."_ The Mother had told him once. _"Whenever I'm happy, the sky is clear and the weather is warm. When I'm worried, it's clouded. When I'm sad, it rains."_

For the time he was with her, Devimon had never seen snow. He could not stop pondering about the meaning behind it. That made his heart ache.

At the top of the mountain, the adult digimon found someone he knew very well. She was sitting close to the edge, glancing at the abyss with sorrow.

"Does she have a message for me?" He asked with no interest, landing behind her. The other turned around and looked at him anxiously.

"What is this madness about attacking the Village of the Beginnings?" Ladydevimon inquired.

"You know that place would have to be destroyed as well, sooner or later." Devimon replied.

"Don't do that!" She ordered. "Don't pretend you're following the plan! You were supposed to spread your gears and cause devastation on this island; instead you're picking a pointless fight with a chosen child!"

"Pointless?!" Devimon was offended. "Do you think it's unnecessary to fight them, after everything that happened?!"

"What has fighting them ever brought us?" Ladydevimon asked angrily. "Mother was the strongest digimon and she lost to the chosen children back then! What do you think you can do by yourself?"

"It's not like you care for me." He said, spiteful. Devimon had always believed his so called older sister hated him since he was picked up by the Mother.

"I don't care about you." Ladydevimon replied in a chilly tone. "I was always certain that you would cause her downfall, Bloody Lord. And I was right!"

"I am not that Seraphimon!" Devimon roared. "She disgraced herself because she did not see who the real enemy was! But I'll show her!"

"Do you think she's still the same merciful and kind digimon from before?" Ladydevimon had deep sadness in her voice. "She does not need to be exposed to the horrors of the world, she's already living them!"

"When she summoned me last time, she told me to 'scare the children.' What do you think that says about her intention of killing them this time?" He asked with a shaking voice. "She still has that weakness in her heart and that's why I must prove to her that I was right all along!"

"She has changed. But you wouldn't know that, would you? You've barely visited her in all these years. None of you have! It's been only me guarding that door!" Ladydevimon spat.

"Don't group me together with those bastards or even yourself!" Devimon growled. "Nobody was more loyal to her or loved her more than I did!"

"What you feel for Mother is not Love."

"Stop calling her that!" Devimon ordered, gripping the other by her wrist. Ladydevimon broke free easily.

"You were the last to arrive, you arrogant brat." She spoke with disgust. "You were the youngest! The weakest! And yet you always acted as if Mother belonged to you and to nobody else!"

"What have you done to prove you're worthy of her? What makes you think you're better than me?" Devimon demanded.

"None of us has hurt her like you have." Ladydevimon replied in cold rage. "But you'll never accept that you were responsible for her pain!"

She flew away after saying that.

Devimon trembled in anger as he watched her disappear into the sky. Soon it would all be over. The moment he had longed for was finally coming.

"You'll pay attention in what will happen tomorrow, Mother." He shouted at the sky. "You'll watch what the youngest child will do."

Takeru was walking in the direction of the Village, holding Patamon. The little digimon still had bruises from the fight against Andromon.

"Why did I say that?" Takeru wondered, upset. "We can't fight Devimon alone."

"We couldn't let him do as he wanted. What you did was right!" Patamon did not understand his partner's confusion.

"I was scared." Takeru muttered. "But the thought of the horrendous thing he was going to do made me so furious... I honestly thought at that moment that we would be able to stop him."

"You don't think we can?" Patamon asked, concerned.

"Sora-san and the others are not with us now. Besides, you and the other digimon are too hurt to fight." Takeru pointed out.

"But they're all coming here, Takeru. It will all work out in the end, you'll see." The digimon said in the most cheerful tone he could muster.

"Are they really coming?" The boy felt insecure. Even if everybody had survived, would they walk into a trap just to reunite with him? The other children did not know him well enough and Takeru figured that they probably considered him a nuisance. It would be so easy for them to leave him behind and not look back.

His father had not looked back when he left their house, grabbing Yamato by the hand. Takeru still remembered the look on his brother's face. There was sadness, but even more than that, there was guilt. Whenever their parents fought, Yamato told his brother that everything would be okay and there was nothing to worry about.

As Takeru grew up, he realized that Yamato had lied to him. Of course he knew things would not work out in the end. However, he believed that his brother could not handle the truth. Takeru was so sick of being treated like that by everybody. He wanted to prove that they were wrong.

"They _are_ coming, Takeru!" Patamon's fierce voice surprised his partner. "Don't you remember how they all rushed to try to save you from Devimon? How they all fought without thinking about their own safety? They worry a lot about you!"

"They pity me." Takeru murmured. "They think I'm going to die if I'm on my own."

"You're not on your own! And you're not going to die!" Patamon was losing his patience. "I'm never going to leave your side!"

Those words resonated deep in Takeru's mind. He had heard something similar before. _It's going to be okay, Takeru. Mom and Dad are going to make amends. We are a family, we'll always be together._

"Liar." Takeru felt his eyes getting humid.

"What did you just call me?" Patamon was startled.

"Don't make promises like that!" Takeru lashed out. "You can't guarantee that you're going to be with me forever! Nor can you know for sure that the others are coming!"

"Of course I can't guarantee that! Nobody can! All we can do is to be positive and do our best-"

"Be positive? Seriously?" Takeru was now sounding sarcastic. "Attitude alone is not going to change anything! If we end up having to face Devimon by ourselves, being positive is not going to save our lives! It's not going to protect anyone!"

"Being negative is just going to make things worse!" Patamon cried. "If you assume that things are inevitably going to take a bad turn you'll just give up!"

"You're too childish, Patamon!"

"You're more childish than me, Takeru!"

Suddenly, they heard someone crying. It was when the two of them noticed that they were a few steps away from a glowing red line drawn on the grass. Not too far from the line, the square buildings and towers were big and colorful. Two meters at their right, a small creature that seemed to only have a head and a horn on it was trying to break through an invisible wall but kept being pushed back.

"It's a Tsunomon." Patamon murmured.

The Tsunomon noticed them and jumped in their direction, hitting the invisible wall again. Takeru instinctively ran towards him. But the boy stopped a step from the line.

 _If I cross this line, I can't return._ He thought, scared. _Patamon and I will be trapped inside. What if the others don't come?_

"You!" The small creature had a pleading voice. "We're all trapped here! Devimon said he was going to kill us tomorrow! Help us! Please, help us!"

"We will! Right, Takeru?" Patamon expected his partner to support him.

"Yes, of course." The human replied almost mechanically. It was not that his determination to save the Village had wavered; his attention had only shifted focus. _He looks so scared_ , Takeru thought, looking at the Tsunomon. It was as if he could experience something from a perspective he had never had before. The boy was being asked for help. For the first time in his life, someone was looking up to him with expectations. And Takeru did not wish to let him down.

It was not pity what he felt. That was not a nuisance. He desired from the bottom of his heart to comfort Tsunomon and to fulfill the hope bestowed on him. The realization struck Takeru gently but with enough power to unsettle him. Was that how older children felt when younger kids were under their care? That sense of duty, the anxiety, the eagerness to be enough and, yet, a bit of pride and lots of fear? Was that what Sora, Mimi, Jyou and Koushiro felt when Takeru was around?

Yamato was eight years old when their parents had divorced. And since before that, the older one had lived in that position. Despite his best efforts, he could not avoid the separation of his family. But Yamato had never let on how he felt. Until the end, he wanted to provide that sense of security to Takeru and suffered alone, hidden. In a lesser scale, were Sora and the others suffering because of him? Did they feel powerless against a force far beyond their control and ashamed for not living to what they believed to be Takeru's expectations?

"Patamon, I'm sorry about before." Takeru spoke softly. "Will you still stay with me?"

"Whatever the path you choose, I'll be always there with you." Patamon said with confidence and joy.

Carrying his partner, Takeru crossed the line. He kneeled next to Tsunomon, parallel to the red line, and sat Patamon on the grass beside him. Gently, the boy picked Tsunomon up and smiled.

"I know how it is to be scared." His voice sounded comforting. "But Patamon and I are here now. We'll give our all to protect you and the rest of the Village."

"I'm the oldest one." Tsunomon spoke with shame. "Everybody but me and the Carer is a baby. I should be stronger than this. I should be there for them…"

Takeru held Tsunomon in a hug.

"You are a child yourself." The boy said. "Don't be ashamed for feeling what any kid would feel. You don't have to burden yourself or act tough. We're here to help you."

"Tsunomon!" A red mammal digimon with nine tails and blue marks on his body ran towards them. He was coming from behind of one of the square building, 20 meters in their left, which Takeru thought resembled a toy. Now that the human was closer, he noticed that what he had believed to be buildings were actually several cubes, from 5 to 10 meters of height, some stacked on top of others and forming towers. Among them, there were many cribs on the grass.

"What are you doing, Tsunomon?" The digimon took the small creature from Takeru's arms and scolded him. "Don't disappear like that! I was worried!"

It was just then that the bigger mammal digimon took his time to examine Takeru. His curious expression was replaced by one of pure shock when he looked at Patamon.

"You really did become a Patamon in the end."

Patamon smirked.

"I left with the others before I was a Tokomon but I still remember you. It's been so long, Elecmon."

Elecmon looked down, frowning.

"Carer!" Tsunomon called him. "They said they're going to fight Devimon! We're saved!"

"I see." Elecmon replied. "Our chances are better with a chosen child on our side."

"Chosen child?" Takeru questioned, remembering that Devimon had called him that as well. "What does that mean?"

"Come along, I'll make a bonfire." Elecmon said, turning his back on the two and taking Tsunomon to where the cribs were. Patamon could not shake the feeling that the other was not happy in seeing him.

"Wait!" Patamon shouted. "Why are you so upset? Do you have a problem with me?"

"I'll explain everything soon, just follow me." Elecmon retorted.

"You don't actually believe we can help, do you?" Takeru asked in a hurt tone.

The Carer turned around to face them.

"It's a Patamon paired with a chosen child. I'm certain that if he evolves, he'll fight Devimon as an equal." Elecmon spoke with certainty. "That's precisely the problem."

"What are you talking about?" Takeru inquired impatiently.

Elecmon took a deep breath before replying. His words sounded heavy and terrible.

"I recognize every digimon I have seen being born here. In spite of my level, I am very old. So, of course, I recognized Devimon as well. But I never expected that Patamon to evolve to that form."

"Devimon… used to be a Patamon?" Takeru felt as if someone had punched him in the stomach and all air had left his lungs. His partner almost fell on his back in horror. Elecmon concluded, looking at Patamon:

"I know that you'll evolve to a digimon who is able to defeat Devimon. But what will you become?"


	9. Takeru's loss

**Chapter 9: Takeru's loss**

Takeru still remembered how the bedroom he had shared with his brother his entire life felt empty that day. Only the second bed, next to his, remained of Yamato's things, and not for long. There had been no satisfying explanations about what was going to happen.

"Mom and Dad won't live together anymore. Yamato wants to go with him," was all what his mother said.

His brother had been very quiet in those last days. Yamato had told Takeru that he did not feel bothered about moving with their father and that it could be fun to live with him.

"It's not like we'll never see each other again. We'll just… meet less often."

Takeru wondered if Yamato was aware of the way his eyes got humid and his lips trembled when he said that. The hug he gave the smaller boy in their last day living under the same roof was tight and long. The boy felt the heavy breath of his brother as he forced an optimistic tone of voice.

"Be brave, Takeru."

And soon enough, he was alone with his mother in that house. He did not feel that he had become a different person but his name had changed. Ishida Takeru had become Takaishi Takeru and there was no sign that he had ever been anything else.

There were still phone calls and rare visits. Yamato always told him that things were good and the little brother limited himself to say that he missed him and their father. But that commentary would fade away from their interactions as Takeru noticed the hurt expression Yamato tried to hide every time.

In those three years, they had become like strangers to each other, who did nothing more than small talk. Yet, it was with excitement that Takeru received the news that he would spend the summer with his brother in a camp.

When his mother left him in his father's apartment, the two adults had the same polite conversation they always had ever since they had divorced. When she talked to Yamato, there was the same awkwardness characteristic of their interactions from the past three years. But once the boys entered the bus and sat side by side, it was as if all the tension had vanished. When their parents were not around, Yamato seemed more relaxed and smiled more.

"I think you're going to enjoy the camp a lot, Takeru." His older brother told him. "We're going to share a hut, eat together, play…"

"And we'll have a lot to talk about!" Takeru said, full of enthusiasm.

"Yes." Yamato agreed, smiling timidly. "We're going to be together every day."

From their meeting in the father's apartment, the amount of time they had spent together in that day did not make it to three hours. They had barely entered the hut and put most of their luggage next to the beds when Takeru wanted to take a look outside. As they walked, snowflakes started to pour and the boys rushed back to the hut before a snow storm hit them at full force. After it stopped, an excited voice came from the outside, saying "come see this!"

Takeru was curious to see how the outside looked like covered by snow. Maybe the lake nearby had frozen! He ran to the outside, with a concerned Yamato coming right after him, telling the little boy to be careful. Five other children had left their shelters as well. A beautiful aurora was visible at the horizon and a pair of kids was debating the probability of the event. Then, lights appeared in the sky.

Suddenly, the water from the lake nearby formed a big wave, as tall as a building, and engulfed the children. Yamato had tried to grab Takeru by the hand but was too late.

Under the mass of water, the boy fell into the darkness and lost consciousness. When Takeru woke up, he was in the middle of a jungle, with a little white creature next to him.

"Takeru!" The other had a joyful tone of voice and jumped happily at the human's lap. "I'm so glad I finally met you! I'm Tokomon!"

"Tokomon?" Takeru asked, astonished. He had no idea what the stranger was. "How do you know my name?"

The white creature blinked twice before replying, happily:

"I've always known. Since I was born, I knew that Takeru was coming to meet me and that we would be friends."

"I'm not sure if I understand…" The boy said, putting Tokomon down, standing up and looking around. The surroundings did not resemble the camp at all. But Takeru had a more urgent concern.

"Have you seen my big brother? His name is Yamato. He looks like me but is taller and has a serious expression."

"You're the first human I've ever seen, Takeru." Tokomon told him.

"What do you mean by that?" The human was getting anxious. Was there nobody else in that place? Where could his brother be? Was Yamato still in the camp, looking for him?

Takeru's heart ached and he started to cry.

"W-Where's Onii-chan?"

"D-Don't cry, Takeru." Now it was the small white creature that was tearing up. "Don't lose hope so easily. Listen, I'm not the only digimon who has been waiting for a human to arrive. Maybe your brother is someone else's partner."

Takeru felt a little guilty when he realized how nervous he had made Tokomon. The boy wiped the tears and tried to have a more positive attitude.

"Could you look for Onii-chan with me, Tokomon?" He asked, shyly.

"Sure!" Tokomon sounded happier. "Let's go look for him!"

The little animal ran into the jungle and the boy followed him in a hurry.

"Tokomon, don't run away!"

And then Takeru met Sora and the others. However, his brother had not come to that world.

Takeru did not want to be a burden to the other children, so the boy did his best to conceal his sadness. They just had to find a way home and everything would be alright. Even when things got bad, he still felt supported by those kind strangers, especially Sora and Patamon. But being positive did not stop the situation from getting worse. The revelation of the possible evolution of his partner had only been the most recent slap on Takeru's face.

Elecmon had lit a bonfire and the boy and his digimon sat close to it. The cribs nearby had many baby digimon inside. Tsunomon had followed Elecmon somewhere; a few minutes later, they had returned with a huge cauldron and vegetables. Once the soup was ready, Elecmon ran somewhere again and returned with cups and bowls for everybody.

Neither Patamon nor Takeru had much of an appetite.

"A long time ago, the Digital World lived in anarchy." Elecmon started to narrate, sitting in front of the chosen child and Patamon; Tsunomon was next to the Carer, paying attention to the story as well. "I had seen many big digimon mistreating smaller ones just because they could. That made me hate adult and above levels monsters. I was just an Elecmon trying to do what I could to help… it was when I heard the Call of Fate."

"What do you mean?" Takeru asked.

"It's an entity said to be as old as Time. It has many names, like Fate and Spirit of the World. The voice spoke inside my head: 'Elecmon, I've looked into your heart. You desire to bring change to the World. If you wish, I can grant you power and guidance.'"

"Carer, you had never told me that you had been chosen by Fate!" Tsunomon sounded impressed.

"What I replied was: 'I don't want to ever evolve and forget how it is to be small and defenseless. But I want to be able to protect all the digimon who are too small to take care of themselves.' To which, Fate replied: 'Very well. I'll choose a land where all digimon will be born and you will guard it forever.' And that's how this Village was create-"

"Excuse me." Takeru interrupted. "You had promised us that you'd explain everything about Patamon and Devimon. Is it going to take long?"

"Don't be impatient." Elecmon scolded him. "You need to understand the beginning in order to comprehend the end. Continuing, one day, two eggs hatched at the same time in the Village. The digimon who had been born became so close that they considered themselves to be siblings."

"Siblings?" Takeru could not avoid thinking about Yamato.

"When one of those digimon became Patamon, he heard the Call of Fate. And he swore to bring order and peace to the World. That Patamon evolved and became the strongest digimon in the world, and he was able to subjugate all others. However, the sense of justice he once had became ruthlessness… and the once sweet Patamon would be known as 'Seraphimon, the Bloody Lord.'"

Patamon shivered. Takeru believed that his friend was about to cry.

"That transformation broke his sister's heart. And she also listened to the Call. She became the strongest digimon and took Seraphimon's life to save the world. She threw away her name and became known as the Queen and the Goddess. She ruled over the world and, a few years later, she took in a Patamon that had escaped from this Village. It was possible that he was Seraphimon reborn but there was never a confirmation. From what I heard, he loved her more than anything… and because of that love, he brought war upon the world."

"War?" Patamon muttered, afraid.

"There was a group of Digimon who called themselves 'the Academy.' It seems that a factory where they were developing an experiment was attacked by _his_ order. The next thing I know is that the Academy brought human children to this world and they defeated the Queen... but at least one of them died. Not long after that, Devimon began to terrorize File Island."

"So that's it…" Patamon said in a desolated voice. "… if I evolve, I'm going to become a heartless murderer."

"Patamon, it's not like that!" Takeru protested. "Just because it happened to them, it doesn't mean that-"

Patamon abruptly flew away. Takeru ran after him.

"What are you doing? Come back here!" The boy called his friend. The little digimon was still too injured and could not fly for more than a couple of minutes before being forced to land. Takeru sat by his side and Patamon began to cry.

"This is not how I imagined things would be." The small creature sobbed. "I always thought that when I met Takeru we would have adventures and become best friends… I never wished to become something horrible!"

"PATAMON!" The boy shouted, which made the digimon finally face him. "What are you so scared of, Patamon? Even if you were to evolve to Devimon or that other digimon, you would still be you! And I would still be your friend, no matter how you look like or how you call yourself!"

"But if I become evil-"

"YOU'LL NEVER BE EVIL!" Takeru stated. His intense gaze astonished his partner. "Patamon, I might have known you for a little more than a day but I swear to you that there's no possibility that you would ever become evil! Look at the bruises you got from fighting for me! Remember how you never hesitated in helping me, not thinking in the danger you were putting yourself into! You are kind, brave, and hopeful and I like you so much! You are already so special to me, Patamon…"

A couple of tears fell from Takeru's eyes and, soon enough, the boy had begun to cry profusely. Patamon jumped on his lap and the human gave him another tight hug.

"Takeru, do you promise me that things will stay the same, no matter what happens tomorrow?"

"Everything in life is always changing and we can't stop that. But I swear to you that, no matter what happens tomorrow, I won't leave your side." Takeru promised. His partner muttered a "Thank you" and did not let go of the human. Still hugging the tiny mammal, the boy lay down on the grass and admired the stars.

In the child's heart, he wished that things could never change between him and Patamon. After everything, did Takeru not deserve to have at least one thing in his life preserved? But he did not want to delude himself or his friend into a false sense of security, which would only increase their pain later. However, a memory crossed his mind.

 _"Being negative is just going to make things worse! If you assume that things are inevitably going to take a bad turn you'll just give up!"_

"It's a good thing to hope for the best, right, Patamon?

Patamon did not reply, which made Takeru wonder if he had fallen asleep. The child turned to his left and laid Patamon gently on the grass, still holding the small creature in his arms. He curled up with the digimon and closed his eyes. The night was neither too hot nor too cold.

The kid fell asleep as well.

Takeru would not remember his dreams of that night clearly. All he knew was that he was playing and laughing along with Patamon and everything seemed to be okay. But suddenly Patamon took flight and disappeared.

Away from there, Sora, Koushiro, Tentomon and Piyomon had reached the end of the underground passage. They found themselves facing a circular brick wall that was over ten meters high. Thirty centimeters bellow the end of the passage, there was a mass of water that reflected the starry sky above.

Elecmon had gone to a field at the north, separated from the Village but inside the range of Devimon's spell. There was a large well on the ground of about ten meters in diameter. The brick wall surrounding it was only twenty centimeters tall above the ground. The digimon had been there several years ago, when the voice called him.

Elecmon bowed, touching his forehead to the grass. Then, he began to pray.

"Oh, almighty Fate! I beg you to answer to my pleadings. The Village you gave me to protect faces its greatest threat. A chosen child has come to our aid but I'm afraid of what might happen… I refused your offer of power long ago… I was foolish." He spoke with bitterness. "Please, Fate, listen to me. Give me the power to protect my children. I beg you to answer to my call! Please, give me a sign!"

Suddenly a giant orange bird flew out of the well, carrying two human children and followed by a Tentomon. In shock, Elecmon stood up quickly and fell on his back. The Birdramon landed and let the children get safely on the ground, devolving into a Piyomon right after.

"It's so good to be out of that tunnel!" Sora said cheerfully. "Who would think it'd end in a well?"

"Yes." Koushiro agreed, glancing down. "The wind almost made me believe there was someone down there with us."

 _He heard a voice?_ Elecmon wondered, getting up. When the girl noticed the red digimon, she asked him a question in a concerned voice.

"Excuse me; have you seen a little boy with blond hair?"

"Yes. He came here with his Patamon friend not long ago." Elecmon confirmed.

"Thank goodness!" Sora exclaimed in relief. "Could you take us to where he is?"

"Yes. I think I have a lot to tell you, chosen children." Elecmon replied.

When Takeru woke up, the first sun rays were caressing his face. The boy heard a pair of familiar voices behind him.

"What are we going to do, Sora-san?" That was the voice of Koushiro.

"Piyomon went back to the tunnel to check and there's an invisible wall there too. As Elecmon said, we are trapped here." Sora said. "There's no other solution than to fight."

Takeru sat up quickly, leaving Patamon on the grass, and turned around. Sora, Koushiro, Piyomon, Tentomon and Elecmon were talking close to a tree that had stuffed animals in the place of fruits.

"Sora-san!" Takeru cried, standing up and running in her direction.

"Takeru-kun, I'm so glad you're okay!" Sora replied as the child hugged her with all his force and hid his face on her shirt. "We found you sleeping and did not want to wake you up."

"Patamon said that you were coming! We can definitely protect the Village now!" The blond boy spoke with great happiness. Patamon woke up because of the noise and was glad to see the others.

"Guys!" Patamon greeted Tentomon and Piyomon but they barely responded.

"Good to see that you protected Takeru from Devimon." Piyomon commented, not as cheerfully as she used to be.

"Devimon let us go after saying that he would destroy this village tonight." Patamon explained.

"So he tricked you to come here and get trapped." Koushiro concluded.

"No." Takeru denied. "We knew that we were going to be trapped in here and made the decision to come anyway."

"What?" Sora asked in low voice. Her eyes were wide open, her face paled and a few drops of cold sweat could be seen on her face.

"We couldn't abandon the babies! We couldn't just walk away!" Takeru stated without raising his voice. He saw how the girl's eyes softened and a subtle smile appeared on her lips. The boy had the impression that she had conflicting emotions and was thinking carefully on what she would say.

"You are very courageous, Takeru-kun." Sora had a bit of pride in her voice and Takeru blushed when he noticed that.

"Mimi-san and Jyou-san have not arrived yet." Koushiro changed the subject. "We should come up with a battle plan not counting on Togemon."

"I'm sure they'll arrive in time!" Takeru said with a big smile. "I know that, together, we'll stop that villain."

The youngest child felt confident and at ease. He had almost forgotten how that felt. Ever since his family had been separated and his brother departed, that feeling had vanished. But at that moment, in spite of the danger he was in, Takeru felt safe and optimistic.

"Now that we have more hands to help, we should move the babies and the eggs to inside the cube towers. You just need to press one of the walls for ten seconds and a circular door will appear. You can close it that way too." Elecmon said.

"Are the towers strong enough to protect them from Devimon?" Koushiro asked.

"It's all I can do now. But, with your help, I believe there might be a better way to protect my babies." Elecmon told Koushiro, giving him a hopeful and intense look.

"W-what do you mean?" The boy with red hair asked, nervously.

"I'll explain on the way, let's go." Elecmon said, walking in the front. Koushiro hesitated for a second but did as he was told.

When Tentomon was about to follow the two, Elecmon stopped him.

"There's no need for you to come. You should help the others in transporting the infants." The red mammal digimon had an authoritative tone.

"I'm not going to let Koushiro-han out of my sight!" Tentomon stated with cold fury, which shocked everybody.

"Devimon won't come here until the night falls; this human is in no danger." Elecmon told him.

"I'm not leaving his side!" Tentomon reiterated, trembling slightly.

Patamon found the insect digimon's behavior odd. _Why is he being so unreasonable?_

"Tentomon?" Piyomon called him, getting to his side and gently touching his shoulder. "Is this about the nightmare you had after eating those-?"

"Who said I had a nightmare?!" Tentomon got defensive. "What is wrong with wanting to be close to my partner?!"

"Tentomon, please." Koushiro wanted to reason with him. "Elecmon is right; you should assist Sora-san and the others."

"But…" Tentomon wanted to protest but could not bring himself to do it. He limited himself to admiring Koushiro's features in case he didn't see his friend again.

"Everything is going to be fine. Please, don't worry about me." The red haired boy promised.

"Okay." Tentomon sounded defeated.

Elecmon and Koushiro went through the same path they had come earlier, along with Sora and the others. The girl wondered if they were returning to the well.

Those who remained behind spent the rest of the day moving the babies and the eggs into the nurseries in the cube towers, taking occasional breaks to eat snacks that Tsunomon had prepared. The cubes were padded and colorful in the inside, with many pillows and toys for the infants. Sora and Takeru, along with their partners, had brought the last babies and eggs to a tower more at the south. The pair of humans lay down to rest.

"Sora-san…" Takeru had a shy tone. "I'm very glad that I got to meet you."

"W-what are you saying, Takeru-kun?" Sora blinked nervously.

"There's something about you that makes me feel calm. I don't really know how to explain it."

"I'm not doing anything special." The girl sounded slightly sad. "You'd probably be better with your brother around."

"Sora-san, I just had a great idea!" The boy said, sitting up. "Once we go back to our world, I'll introduce you to my brother! I think the two of you will get along really well. You're kind of similar."

"Really?" Sora giggled, sitting up as well. "Tell me about your brother."

"Onii-chan is very sweet and kind." Takeru started. "He's serious and worries a lot about me and I think that, if he could, he'd shield me from all the harm in the world. He's very sensitive but is also too shy."

"I wish I could protect you from all harm…" Sora murmured. "I promise that I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe."

"My brother used to make me promises he could not live up to." Takeru said with melancholy. "I could tell that he felt guilty because of it. But Onii-chan has a habit of hiding his emotions. That makes me very worried… I know that his intentions are good and that he wants to protect me… but I wish he would open up to me. I wish he would let me help him, somehow… but I know that he sees me as a small child who can't understand anything."

"I don't believe in that at all!" Sora protested in a serious tone. "You're such an intelligent and kind boy! I doubt your brother would look down on you like that."

"Then why doesn't he trust me?"

Sora looked down and took a couple of seconds to formulate a reply.

"Maybe he wants you to look up to him… maybe he thinks that, if he were to show you his true self, you would think less of him…" The girl had half closed her eyes and contracted her eyebrows in a way that made the younger child wonder if she was in pain. But soon, Sora put a smile on her lips and added: "Your brother loves you so much! You're so lucky, Takeru-kun!"

"Thank you, Sora-san." Takeru said, forcing a smile. The older girl really did remind him of Yamato.

Leaning on the opposite wall of the cube, Patamon was resting close to Piyomon, who watched Sora from afar. A dozen of baby digimon were playing around in front of them.

"What has gotten into you and Tentomon?" Patamon asked. "You don't seem as lively as usual."

"I don't know about Tentomon… but I had a nightmare about Sora." Piyomon trembled as she spoke those words. "She was being swallowed by a sea of darkness and I could not reach her… she did not allow me to get close to her… no matter what I did, I couldn't save her…"

The bird digimon let a couple of tears out.

"It was just a dream, Piyomon. I'm sure that nothing bad will happen." Patamon tried to comfort her.

"What do you think happens if a human being dies?" Piyomon asked, in a melancholic voice. "Do you think they have a Village of Beginnings where they can be reborn?"

"I don't know… I had never thought about that…"

"What if humans don't get reborn? If I let Sora die… will she stay dead forever?"

Patamon's eyes widened in horror. He looked at Takeru, at the other side of the room.

 _"But I swear to you that, no matter what happens tomorrow, I won't leave your side."_

The mammal digimon felt his eyes getting humid but forced himself to expel the dark thought from his mind. _He's going to be okay. With Birdramon and Kabuterimon here, I'm sure that nothing bad will happen._

Tentomon had not joined the others, moving the babies and the eggs on his own. It was getting dark and he was deeply concerned about Koushiro. When the sun was still high in the sky, the insect digimon saw Elecmon returning alone to the village and flew in his direction, eager for news.

"What about Koushiro-han?"

"He's working on a solution for our problem. Don't worry about him."

"You left him alone?" Tentomon asked, angrily.

"How about you talk to me with more respect? Or have you forgotten that I watched over you when you were a baby?" Elecmon got irritated.

Tentomon had done as the other had told him and waited for Koushiro to return, for hours. But he could no longer do that. Once there were no more infants or eggs left to move, the bug digimon flew in the direction of the well. When he got there, he saw no sight of his partner. The laptop, however, was lying on the grass.

"Koushiro-han?" He called, in panic. Tentomon had a bad feeling and flew above the well. What he saw in it almost made him fall into the water.

Koushiro was floating on the water with his face up. His half closed eyes were lifeless.

"KOUSHIRO-HAN!" Tentomon screamed. He dove into the well, stopping right above his partner. The boy moved his arms slowly and grabbed the digimon, who carried him back to the safety of the grass.

"What happened?!" Tentomon was hysterical. "Did you fall in the well? Did Elecmon… if Elecmon did that to you…"

Koushiro seemed to ignore his partner's concern. He sat down, picked his laptop and concentrated on typing something in it. After five minutes of him not responding to Tentomon's questions, a strong light came out of the screen and spread across the fields, going to the Village.

"The babies will be safe from Devimon's attacks now, just as he asked." Koushiro spoke in an extremely calm tone of voice. Only after doing that did he look at Tentomon. The human smiled but his eyes seemed to be full of sadness.

"I'm glad to see you again." The boy said, right before collapsing.

"KOUSHIRO-HAN!" Tentomon cried, catching him before he hit the ground. Instantaneously, Koushiro opened his eyes and agitatedly sat up. He looked around frantically until he touched the grass with his hands and looked down. Then, the boy let out a loud sigh of relief.

"You took me out of the water, Tentomon. Thank you! Thank you so much!" The child nearly cried, hugging his friend. The digimon was shocked by the boy's actions compared to his behavior from less than a minute before.

"Koushiro-han, do you remember when I took you out of the well?" Tentomon asked in a worried tone.

"No, I… didn't I just wake up?" Koushiro asked, letting go of his partner and looking at him preoccupied. Then, he saw the turned on computer on the grass, close to him.

Tentomon noticed as the boy's eyes got wide as he slowly approached the computer. Koushiro examined the screen for a couple of seconds before shutting the machine down and quickly putting it back inside his backpack, that had been lying next to the laptop. The kid began to tremble.

"Koushiro-han, what's the matter?" Tentomon's concern was increasing.

"I worked on something in the computer… to protect the infants…" The human muttered, as if trying to understand his actions.

"So you remember!" Tentomon was relieved. "I was worried you had hit your head again or something. How did you end up in the well?"

"Elecmon had left me alone… I glanced into the well and…" Koushiro stopped talking. His pupils contracted and a pained expression took over his face.

Tentomon did not have the opportunity to make further questions because someone called the boy.

"KOUSHIRO-KUN!"

It was Mimi, running in their direction with Jyou, Palmon and Gomamon.

"I'm so happy to see you again! Are Sora-san and Takeru-kun here too? Are those buildings in the distance the Village of the Beginnings?" The girl asked rapidly.

"Why are you all wet?" Jyou questioned, pointing to the boy's clothes.

"Koushiro-han fell into the well by accident." Tentomon explained. Koushiro raised an eyebrow but did not add anything.

"Honestly, Koushiro-kun, you need to be more careful!" Jyou scolded him. Suddenly, the older boy felt awkward. He realized that had been the first direct conversation he had started with the fourth grader since the incident in the factory _. I should talk to him properly… explain everything_ , he thought.

Out of nowhere, an explosion was heard coming from the Village.

"It's Devimon! He had said he'd come at night!" Koushiro shouted, getting up in a jump and running in the direction of the explosion.

"Wait for us!" Mimi yelled, before running after him, along with the others.

Inside the cube tower, the babies began to cry. While Takeru tried to calm them down, Sora pressed one of the walls for ten seconds and made a circular door appear. She crossed it with Piyomon but then blocked the way when Takeru and Patamon were about to follow them.

"Takeru-kun, stay behind." Sora ordered.

"Don't ask me to do that!" Takeru protested. "I can't let you fight alone!"

"Takeru-kun, please!" Sora pleaded.

"NO!" Takeru shouted as tears streamed down his face. "I'm sick of everybody trying to protect me! I want to help! Why don't you let me help?"

"Takeru-kun, listen." Sora kneeled in order to be at the boy's eye level. Her voice was calm but firm. "Do you think Patamon can fight in his state? He's still hurt from the battle against Andromon, isn't he? He might not be able to evolve to fight Devimon."

"But…" Takeru could not find the words he wanted. It was true that Patamon was not in his best condition. However, did Elecmon not say that the small digimon could not only fight but also defeat Devimon? Did that not mean that Patamon was strong enough? That Takeru would not have to be sidelined and actually do something instead of seeing someone he cared about putting on a tough act to make him believe that there was nothing to worry about?

Again.

"Takeru…" Patamon, who had been standing next to the boy, called his partner in a whisper. "I think we should stay behind."

The second grader glanced down at Patamon in disbelief.

"Stay with him, Takeru-kun. We'll be right back." Sora told him before getting up and running to the center of the Village of the Beginnings with Piyomon, twelve meters ahead. There, she found Elecmon telling Tsunomon to hide. Devimon was hovering above the buildings, firing heat balls at them but failing to cause any damage. Elecmon smirked.

"Give it up, Devimon!" The red mammal ordered. "Fate has not abandoned us! You cannot win"

"Fate!?" Devimon laughed. "Do you mean that infamous two-faced trickster?"

"Don't be disrespectful!" Elecmon roared, firing electricity from his tail. "Fate guides us all! Fate protects us all!"

Black flickering smoke suddenly appeared around Devimon and Elecmon's attacck disappeared. The adult digimon's right arm grew and stretched all the way to where Elecmon was. The red creature only had time to push Tsunomon away forcefully before being grabbed by the giant hand.

"CARER!" Tsunomon cried as Devimon's painfully squeezed Elecmon.

"PIYOMON!" Sora shouted. Piyomon evolved to Birdramon and relentlessly attacked with flaming meteors. They might as well have been feathers, for Devimon's smoke eliminated them easily as well.

"SORA-SAN!"

Sora heard Mimi's voice and turned her head to the right. The younger girl was coming with Jyou and Koushiro, while their digimon evolved and joined Birdramon in her attacks. Togemon threw needles and punches, Kabuterimon fired electricity far brighter than Elecmon's, Ikkakkumon released missiles from his horn. Even together, none of these attacks made it past the smoke. They were fighting their hardest, but Devimon was unharmed.

"T-That smoke…" Elecmon wheezed. "Is this c-corrupted data?"

Devimon smiled proudly before replying:

"The Village of the Beginnings is the place where all the data of the deceased digimon gather to allow their rebirth. But what do you think happens if they died because of a severe corruption in their data?"

"Is he talking about the black gears?" Jyou asked, paling. Mimi, who was by his side at Sora's right, trembled in fear of what Devimon meant. Koushiro, who was standing at Sora's left, let the answer escape his lips.

"They can't be reborn."

Devimon laughed and commanded:

"Sing, my children!"

Hundreds of crying voices were heard as the smoke started to take the forms of arms and claws. Among the horrific noises, one of the words the children could hear clearly many times was "HELP!"

"YOU DEMON!" Elecmon shouted in disgust. "How dare you torture those poor souls like that? How dare you disturb the balance of the Digital World?"

"These souls will have no rest as long as this world stands. Luckily for you, Elecmon, you won't be here to see it turn to ashes." Devimon told the small being as he crushed Elecmon in his hand. Tsunomon cried in despair as the Carer's data floated away.

Mimi screamed in horror, covering her face with both hands. The other children watched everything in shock. Their partners kept attacking the smoke even though they had realized that it was pointless.

The lost souls became denser and, in a single strike, fell on the children and the digimon. At the entrance of the tower, Patamon tackled Takeru so he would stay inside the cube building. Less than a second later, the digimon flew to the wall and pressed his head on it, praying that the incoming smoke wave would not hit them in less than ten seconds. The entrance was closed just in time.

"W-What happened?" Takeru asked in a shaking voice. "That s-smoke fell on Sora-san and the others! What h-happened to them?"

The baby digimon around them were crying louder than before but Takeru paid no attention to the infants. The image of the lost souls attacking Sora and the other kids was seared into his eyes.

"I have to go… they need my help…" The boy stood up, feeling that he was about to cry again.

"I can't let you go there! You saw what he did to the others!" Patamon stated, turning to Takeru's direction. The digimon could not lift his eyes from the padded floor.

"Elecmon said that you could defeat Devimon if you evolved!" Takeru reminded his partner. "I know that you're hurt but if you don't evolve Sora-san and the others might-"

"I CAN'T DO THAT, TAKERU!" Patamon shouted, desperate.

"IS THIS BECAUSE YOU'RE SCARED THAT YOU'LL EVOLVE INTO DEVIMON?" Takeru was getting upset at Patamon's cowardice. Was not Patamon the one who had encouraged him to be optimistic? Did Takeru not assure his friend that he would never become evil and they would stay together? There was no justification for Patamon's behavior and that made Takeru furious.

"I'M SCARED I WON'T BE ABLE TO PROTECT YOU!" Patamon confessed, finally looking up to his partner. The boy froze when he saw thick tears flooding his friend's eyes.

"… Patamon?"

"I don't know if I can evolve… or if I'll protect you if I evolve… if you die, Takeru… would I see you again?" Patamon sobbed. "You told me that you would stay by my side… but how will you do that if you die?"

Instinctively, Takeru kneeled and picked Patamon up, giving him a tight hug. The child had never felt so ashamed.

 _Patamon was scared for me. I didn't understand his feelings at all… was it the same with Sora-san? Was I so self-absorbed that I failed to see how they'd feel if something bad happened to me? I was so arrogant… I thought I understood everything and made demands. But I'm just a kid!_

"I'm sorry, Patamon." Takeru apologized. "I'm sorry for making you scared."

"I'm sorry too, Takeru." Patamon sobbed. "I'm not brave enough to do this… I'm not strong enough…"

"Yes, you are!" Takeru reassured him. "I have complete faith that you are able to protect me."

"This is no time for optimism!"

"Of course it is! Don't you know?" Takeru smirked nervously. "If we assume things will take the bad turn, we'll just give up. If we give up now, everything will be over for all of us. Are you afraid that if we go outside I might die? If we don't go, the others will die! And we don't know for how long we can hide in here!"

"BOY!" Devimon called, outside the cube. "I have the other humans and their partners at my mercy! I'll only kill them when you come to watch but if you don't come out quickly, I'll make them beg for death!"

This time it was Takeru who let big tears fall from his eyes. However, the human did not have to say anything else to convince Patamon.

"Do you really believe that I can protect you, Takeru?" Patamon inquired. "Despite everything, do you honestly believe I can do that?"

"I never stopped believing in you, Patamon."

Outside, Devimon was staring at the cube building in which Takeru and Patamon were hiding. Behind him, the other four children and their digimon, still in adult level, were held by several dark claws made of smoke. Mimi was crying profusely. Jyou had begun to recite a sutra. Koushiro kept his head down. Sora closed her eyes fiercely, trying to contain the shaking of her body. Birdramon, Kabuterimon, Ikkakumon and Togemon were being forced to stay on the ground with their faces down, touching the grass.

Devimon's attention was diverted by a pair of bubbles that hit his face. He looked to his left and found a Tsunomon staring at him in anger. Tiny particles of light surrounded the small being and he changed form, becoming a creature that resembled a lizard with a horn on his head and covered by a mantle of fur.

"Tsunomon evolves to… GABUMON!"

"You evolved?" Devimon had a condescending tone. "Was that triggered by the stress of seeing Elecmon die?"

"How could you do that to Carer? Didn't he watch over you when you were born?" Gabumon asked with fury.

"He kept me here without telling me why. I have no fond memories of that fool." Devimon spoke with bitterness.

"Was he wrong to do that, Bloody Lord?" Gabumon had defiance in his voice. Devimon felt rage take his body over and was about to strike the other digimon dead when Takeru's voice caught his attention.

"We are here!"

Takeru had left the cube with Patamon flying by his side. The boy's right hand was still pressing the outside wall, closing the entrance behind them. Despite the boy's trembling body, his eyes were full of determination.

"TAKERU-KUN, RUN!" Sora shouted. Tears fell from her eyes, now fully open. Takeru gave her a small smile and said:

"Don't worry. Everything is going to be fine."

"You have finally come to face me, youngest child!" Devimon felt great satisfaction. "Tell me, which of those kids do you want to watch die first?"

"You won't have the chance to harm any of them! Patamon will defeat you!" Takeru stated. Patamon flapped by his side with a determined expression that matched his partner's.

Devimon began to laugh uncontrollably and looked up.

"Isn't this funny? I, who once killed the youngest chosen child, am going to die by the hands of the current youngest chosen child… WHO HAS A PATAMON AS PARTNER!"

"You loved someone." Takeru said. "The Queen who took you in, isn't that right?"

"I love Mother! More than anyone has ever loved another being!" Devimon affirmed. "And human children like you took her away!"

"You know that pain and yet…" Takeru had disgust in his voice. "Look at how many you've hurt! Look at all the pain you've caused to others! How can you justify what you did knowing how hurtful it is?! I don't understand it!"

"You'll understand it soon!" Devimon stated, coldly. "True justice will only come when this cursed world crumbles under the weight of its sins!"

"You're unforgivable!" Takeru's tone was deadly serious. "I have never met someone as petty as you!"

"I have changed my mind, boy." Devimon said, clenching his claws. "You are going to be the first one to die!"

 _I have nothing to be afraid of._ Takeru thought, watching Devimon advance in his direction, while Sora and the others screamed. _Patamon is with me._

Specks of light appeared around Patamon, glowing brightly until he looked like a star. "Patamon evolves to… ANGEMON!"

The light cleared, revealing an angelic creature. Angemon had three pairs of wings, a muscular humanoid body, and a shining helmet that covered his eyes. With a flash, Angemon banished the smoke and freed the other children and their partners. Devimon stopped in his tracks. Then, Angemon lifted his staff and called for the holy light of the other digivices. When rays of light came out of the objects and converged at the staff, the four adult digimon who had been imprisoned devolved into Piyomon, Palmon, Tentomon and Gomamon.

"YES! YES! I WAS WAITING FOR THIS!" Devimon screamed with joy. "THIS IS MY VICTORY!"

The diabolic digimon grabbed Angemon and pulled him up into the sky. The light from Angemon's staff transferred to his body and gathered at his fist. After charging, he released a powerful attack at Devimon. Even as he did this, Devimon was fighting with full force, claws slashing viciously accompanied by red blasts of light. Their clash was so bright that the children and their digimon had to cover their eyes.

The next thing they saw was Devimon hitting the ground violently. He was rapidly disintegrating into red particles.

Angemon landed by his side, supporting himself with the staff.

"ANGEMON!" Takeru called his partner, running happily to his side. He had won! He had saved everybody, like Takeru knew he would! The boy intended to hug his friend tightly and celebrate. They would laugh and play together for the rest of the night. After years of having everything he cared about taken away, Takeru's hopes had finally paid off.

Two steps away from his partner, the boy stopped.

 _No!_ He thought in horror when he saw small white particles breaking off Angemon's body. His friend fell to his knees, still sustaining his upper body with the staff.

"I… had to use all of my vital energy…" Angemon's voice was weak but had no sorrow in it. "But I did it, Takeru… thank you for believing in me."

"You can't do that!" The boy was in denial. "It's not fair! You can't die! Please, Angemon!"

Takeru pleaded among sobs, stretching his arm to touch the angel.

"You'll see me again… but for now… goodbye, Takeru." Angemon said with the last of his energy. His entire body became white particles that dispersed. Takeru screamed in despair and the others rushed to his side.

Mimi was the only one to glance at the dying Devimon.

He admired the night sky with a resigned smile and, before disintegrating completely. He muttered something in a language that the girl did not understand.

 _Preste atenção, querida._

 _De cada amor tu herdarás só o cinismo._

 _Quando notares, estás à beira do abismo._

 _Abismo que cavaste com os teus pés._

The mother watched everything, like her child had demanded.

There was no music in existence that could hide her cry.

 **Notes:**

Next chapter, the new arc begins.  
As you might have guessed, the chapter ends with the final part of "O mundo é um moinho" (by Cartola). The translation is:

Pay attention, Dear.  
From every love, you'll inherit only cynicism.  
When you notice it, you're in front of the abyss.

Abyss that you've dug with your feet.


	10. The original chosen children

The radio he had made was playing his favorite song while he fried a couple of eggs. The man did not need to eat anymore but he still enjoyed it. Plus, cooking was almost a form of therapy for him. The large kitchen had an industrial stove, a five meters long table with, in that moment, fourteen plates with breakfast food on it. There were onigiris, tea, coffee, milk, different types of bread, chocolate cake and a pan filled with rice. It was food that would last for days but the man could not stop cooking.

In the middle of the table there was a black cone that was ten centimeters tall that worked as a communicator and a hologram projector. It had not been used in a long time, so the man had practically forgotten about its existence. Until that night.

"Imagine there's no countries. It isn't hard to do. Nothing to kill or die for. And no religion too. Imagine all the people-ou-ou!" He was singing along when the communicator began to whistle. The man almost dropped the eggs from the frying pan in surprise. He left the pan on the counter next to the stove and went to the table, where he touched the cone. A hologram of a person with the upper part of the face covered by a hood appeared. The person was sitting at a desk in front of a white wall, and was wearing a large brown robe.

"Kanda-kun!" The man in the kitchen was surprised. "Did something happen?"

"Tamaki-san!" The other scolded, "I have told you many times to stop calling me by my real name."

"What are you worried about? I know that your office is acoustically isolated and you monitor your entire base. Nobody is going to listen to us unless you allow it. Besides…" His voice became bitter, "I'll never call you Gennai."

Kanda sighed in frustration, scratching his head with his gloved hands. Tamaki glanced sadly at the back of his own right hand, where there was a green tattoo that he hated: a drop of water with two concentric circles inside it.

"What do you want, anyway, Kanda-kun?" He wanted to get that conversation over with.

"I need you to take a group of children who are in the Village of the Beginnings to Aurora Town." Kanda told him.

"What group of children? Baby digimon? Aren't they too young for you to recruit?" Tamaki raised an eyebrow.

"You'll understand when you see them." Kanda sounded annoyed.

"Why Aurora Town? Am I taking them to Homura-chan? Is she working with you?" Tamaki's suspicions grew.

"You already know more than enough, Tamaki-san. Thank you for your attention." Kanda hung up, thus ending the conversation.

"That pretentious brat!" Tamaki yelled at nobody after the hologram disappeared. "I'm still two years older than him! Who does he think he is to treat me like that?"

Despite his anger, Tamaki always did what other people asked him, so he headed to the control room of his base and typed the coordinates of the Village of the Beginnings into his personal computer. Soon, the entire base trembled as it prepared for the partial materialization on the physical dimension of the digital world.

"How am I supposed to know which digimon I should take, anyway?" He complained to nobody.

 **Chapter 10: The original chosen children**

Takeru was on his knees, watching the light particles that once composed the body of his friend floating in the air. The boy's body felt numb as tears streamed down his shaking face. He was no longer screaming and he could barely register what was happening around him.

Someone was saying "I'm so sorry." It was probably Jyou. The little boy felt two hands hold him gently by the arms. He looked up and saw Sora kneeling in front of him, gazing into his eyes. Her face was very pale and covered in sweat. Her lips trembled and her eyes widened and became wetter as the seconds passed. She did not say a single word.

Mimi glanced at the spot where Devimon had died and then glanced at the little boy and Sora, who were two steps in her left. Her body was shaking and several tears were falling from her eyes. The feeling of being held by dark claws was still too present. And she could still hear the cries of help of the lost souls that had trapped her.

Jyou was next to the younger girl and noticed her distress. He too felt overwhelmed and wanted to break down and cry. Instead, the boy stretched his right arm in the girl's direction and touched her left shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. Mimi held the hand on her shoulder and squeezed it in gratitude.

Koushiro was standing by himself, five steps in the left from the other kids. He watched Takeru and Sora silently. His wet clothes were making him cold.

Piyomon, Palmon, Gomamon and Tentomon stood between where the children were and the point where Devimon had died. After failing completely at protecting their partners and seeing their friend sacrifice himself, the shame they felt made them unable to meet the eyes of the children.

Then, the particles of white light began to gather on the grass, close to Takeru. A digital egg with orange stripes on it appeared.

"This was fast." Gabumon said, approaching the children. He went to Takeru and examined the egg attentively. "Digitama normally take longer to form. This is the first time I've seen one appearing right after its digimon's death."

"This is Patamon?" Takeru's question was almost inaudible, yet full of hope. He slowly freed himself from Sora's hold and reached for the digitama. The boy picked it up gently, as if afraid of causing it harm, and brought it close to his body. Takeru embraced the egg lightly as he looked sadly at it.

"Digimon can come back to life after they die…" Jyou murmured, amazed.

"But…" Piyomon had begun to say but could not finish.

"Normally, digimon who are reborn don't remember their previous lives." Gomamon concluded Piyomon's sentence. "It's unlikely that Patamon is going to remember any of us."

"Patamon won't remember me?" Takeru's voice broke. His horrified expression made Sora and the others gulp.

"But we all knew, since we were born, that we were going to have partners! We even knew what their names were!" Palmon pointed it out. "I'm sure that Patamon wouldn't forget Takeru. I mean, we're not exactly the same as every other digimon."

"That's true!" Piyomon sounded more hopeful. "The bonds we have with our partners are strong. It's highly likely that Patamon will be able to remember!"

"Isn't that wishful thinking?" Jyou asked in a depressed tone.

"It's called having hope." Mimi retorted, slightly annoyed at the older boy's indelicacy. Then, she glanced at Takeru with sadness.

"Hope…" Takeru murmured, caressing the egg. "Patamon would want me to be positive."

The blond boy wiped his tears away with the back of his left hand and stood up, still holding the egg tenderly. Jyou, Mimi and the digimon were visibly happy for Takeru's action.

Sora stood up too and tried to smile. She was not sure if she had succeeded. Her mind was filled with things she wanted to say but none of them made it to her mouth. The girl stood still and gazed at the other children. Her insides felt like they were freezing as she remembered how Devimon had overpowered all of them.

Because of her incompetence in protecting Takeru, Angemon had died. And if the little boy and his partner had not walked out of the cube to face Devimon, everybody would have been killed.

"Sora-san." Takeru's voice brought the girl back to reality. He was looking up to her.

"Takeru-kun, I-" Sora had begun to speak, not sure about how she would express everything she wanted. She felt her eyes getting humid and fought the urge to cry. _I can't cry in front of him. I need to be strong._ She thought. But then she remembered how she had been subjugated by Devimon. How Birdramon and the other digimon had been defeated and trapped. How she could listen to Jyou's praying and Mimi's crying. How she was sure that there was no way out and that, after Devimon tortured and killed them, he would go after Takeru and do the same to him.

"I'm sorry." Sora said, unable to stop the tears.

"I'm going to be okay, Sora-san, don't worry." Takeru promised, forcing a tiny smile. The way his lips trembled and his eyes shone betrayed his true emotional state. Sora knew that he was trying to be strong for her sake and that killed her spirit. She wanted to apologize for so many things. To him and to everybody else.

 _I'm sorry my power was not strong enough to make you win, Piyomon. Jyou-senpai, I'm sorry I wasn't dependable enough. Mimi-san, I'm sorry I couldn't comfort you. Takeru-kun, I'm sorry for not protecting you… for causing you so much pain… I couldn't do a damn thing! Despite my best efforts and intentions… I was completely useless and failed with everybody!_

But what actually came out of the girl's mouth was an almost inaudible "Okay" as she harshly wiped her tears and forced a smile. There was no point in making the others concerned about her.

"Koushiro-han." Tentomon called his partner, going to him and rubbing his body against the boy's legs. "How are you?"

"Huh?" Koushiro showed confusion. He had been quietly observing the others, with his arms crossed.

"You're cold, right?" Tentomon asked, pointing to his partner's clothes.

"Oh." Koushiro murmured, looking down. "Yes, I'm a bit cold."

"Koushiro-kun!" Jyou exclaimed, hurrying to his side. "That's right, you fell into the well! Did you have any fracture or concussion? Does it hurt anywhere?"

"Koushiro-kun fell into the well?" Sora asked, surprised, walking in the redhead's direction with Takeru.

"He was probably being careless, typical of Koushiro-kun!" Mimi sighed. "When our class had field trips, he'd always get lost in the woods while examining the plants and the insects."

"One day, he wanted to try a different route to school and we got lost!" Jyou remembered, irritated.

"Once Koushiro-kun wanted to climb a tree to check a bird's nest and-" Mimi was about to continue the unveiling of Koushiro's not so admirable past when a strange digimon landed violently close to them. She wore black jet cloth, had horns, long white hair, red eyes, long fingers that resembled claws and bat wings.

"Ladydevimon!" Piyomon shouted, apprehensively. She, along with the other digimon, quickly positioned herself between the children and the diabolic creature. Ladydevimon ignored them and headed to the crater where Devimon had died. She contemplated the spot in silence as a single tear escaped her left eye.

"I was sure I hated him." Ladydevimon spoke to no one in particular. "If someone had ever told me that his death would upset me, I'd laugh at the idea. I guess we can't really let go of family."

"Was Devimon related to you?" Mimi asked, feeling sorry for the other.

"Are you our enemy as well?" Takeru inquired in a cold tone.

"There's no simple answer for either question. We loved the same mother and each of us believed to love her more than the other. For this mother, I'll fight to destroy the Digital World with my remaining brothers. If you try to stop us, we would have to fight you." Ladydevimon answered with no emotion.

"She's a perfect level digimon." Gomamon muttered, afraid.

"Like Andromon…" Tentomon's voice had a mix of anger and guilt.

"I just came to pay my respects to my brother, don't get worked up." Ladydevimon said, turning to their direction. "I sincerely wish you do the smart thing and leave this world when you get the chance. I have no desire to take children's lives."

"Unlike Devimon?" Takeru had a skeptical tone.

"So you've heard about how he killed the former bearer of hope?" Ladydevimon did not seem surprised. "Everything changed that day."

The perfect level digimon took flight. Those who remained behind watched her go without uttering any word.

"Devimon killed a child?" Jyou asked afterwards. "A digimon child?"

"No." Gabumon replied, glancing down. "From what I heard, it was one of the original chosen children."

"This again…" Mimi felt anxious.

"There really were others before us." Jyou commented, recalling their conversation with Leomon the night before.

"Elecmon had told us that." Sora muttered. "One of those children died."

"I wonder what happened to the rest of them." Koushiro thought aloud.

Suddenly, they all heard a loud buzzing sound. Twenty meters to their left, a small sphere of white light appeared in the air and shot lightning up and down. The ball grew and assumed a rectangular shape. Soon, it had turned into a wooden sliding door.

"What is that?" Mimi asked, pointing to the door. "It just appeared out of nowhere!"

"Why a sliding door? It's not connected to anything!" Jyou was intrigued.

"Maybe it's connected to another dimension." Koushiro theorized, beginning to walk towards the door but being stopped by Jyou, who blocked his way.

"How about, for a change, you don't head straight to something potentially dangerous?" Jyou scolded the younger boy. Koushiro paled when he heard that and took a step back. The older child was puzzled by the other's ashamed expression.

The door slid to the left and a tall figure walked through the opening, sliding it back to close the entrance. The children and their digimon were shocked by what they saw.

"It's…" Mimi could not believe her eyes.

"It is… IT IS…" Jyou could not hide his joy.

"An adult! A human adult!" Sora was the one to complete the phrase.

The adult was tall, had blond wavy hair, brown eyes and seemed to be in his twenties. He wore baggy jeans pants, a white shirt and an orange jacket above it. He was barefooted and ran his eyes around as if looking for something. When his eyes locked in the direction of the children, an astonished expression took his face.

The man started to sweat and tremble. His completely open eyes seemed to doubt what they were seeing. He approached the children, slowly. Panic started to build in him.

"Human children?" The stranger questioned, horrified. "It… it can't be! Why… how?"

"WE ARE SAVED!" Jyou shouted in ecstasy. "AN ADULT! WE REALLY FOUND AN ADULT! AN ADULT!"

"Please, calm down!" The man told him, nervously, putting his hands on his head. "What's the meaning of this? How did you come to this world? Who brought you here?"

"We were in a summer camp and an aurora appeared, then these little machines came from the sky and-" Koushiro was narrating, picking the machine stuck in his backpack and showing it to the man.

"Digivice?" The stranger interrupted. A mix of horror and anger took his face over. "You can't be… you're chosen children?"

"What does it mean to be a chosen child?" Sora inquired. She wanted to understand the true meaning behind that label.

"That conversation is going to be long. How about you come to my place? I can arrange some food and…" The man stared at Koushiro, "… dry clothes, I guess."

"Excuse me, mister, what's your name?" Takeru asked before the stranger turned around to return to the door.

"Oh." He had a depressed look on his face. "You can call me Tamaki."

After he stepped inside his house (it was possible to see a white corridor through the opening, with a space to leave the shoes in its beginning), Sora called the other children for a conversation.

"Do you guys think it's a good idea to follow him? It's very suspicious to suddenly find another human now." The girl expressed her concern.

"You don't think he's really human, Sora-san?" Takeru asked.

"I think we should go after him!" Jyou gave his opinion. "We can't just let a chance like this pass! If he's really a human adult, he could help us! Besides, we'd get shelter for now!"

"It's our best chance to know more about our situation. Tamaki-san seems to be very knowledgeable." Koushiro pointed out.

"We're all tired. It would be nice to spend the night in a safe and comfortable place. Plus, Koushiro-kun needs a change of clothes." Mimi said.

"What about the babies?" Takeru was worried. "We can't just leave them!"

"I'm going to take care of them from now on." Gabumon announced. "I'm the oldest, it's just right."

"But…" Takeru spoke with guilt but Gabumon gave him an encouraging smile, saying:

"Carer has dedicated most of his life to look after digimon like me. I don't want his effort to go to waste. I want to give back the love I received and be the one protecting others now. Carer will be reborn one day... and he's not going to remember who he used to b-be…" The digimon's voice cracked for a second. "It's going to be my turn to look after him and keep him safe."

Takeru nodded, hugging the digitama more tightly.

"If you ever need help, don't hesitate to call me." The boy said.

"The same goes for you. Thank you for everything, Takeru." Gabumon replied.

After saying their goodbyes to Gabumon, the kids and their partners crossed the door and entered Tamaki's place. Sora and Piyomon were the last ones to do it and the girl closed the door behind them. The girl took her shoes off and put them close to those of the other children, before climbing the step to the corridor. She had a concerned expression that Piyomon noticed.

"Are you worried, Sora?" The bird digimon asked.

"It's not as if I don't see their point." The girl whispered in a defensive tone. "But, from our experience, have we not learned not to go into strange places nor listening to someone we don't know?"

"But Tamaki is human. Don't you feel at ease with another human being?" Piyomon could not comprehend the girl's preoccupation.

Before Sora could reply, she heard Mimi's shout. The younger girl had stopped walking in the middle of the corridor, in front of the entrance of the kitchen and looked amazed at the quantity of food. The older girl and Piyomon joined the others, who were going into the kitchen. Tamaki was sitting close to the table, tapping a black cone placed above it with an annoyed expression. When he noticed the children, the adult suggested that they should take a hot bath before eating, promising to arrange clean clothes for them.

"I can freely manipulate the data inside this base; it shouldn't be a problem to produce clothes." He said. "There are 27 bathrooms for you to choose."

"Why do you have 27 bathrooms?" Jyou was shocked.

"When I get bored I rearrange the data of the base and produce new things. Last month, there were 56 kitchens." Tamaki explained, smirking.

"I agree to taking a bath first. Would you like to take it with me, Sora-san?" Mimi invited the older girl.

"Uhh…" Sora hesitated. "If you don't mind, I'd like some time alone with Piyomon. Maybe next time."

"Oh." Mimi was disappointed. "It's okay."

"I don't think I want to take a bath yet." Takeru said. "First, I'd like to make Patamon's egg cozy."

"I can lend you some sheets." Tamaki offered, which made the smaller boy beam. "The bathtubs will be waiting for you, anyway."

"Bathtubs?" Koushiro asked in a terrified tone. He opened his eyes widely and shivered. Tentomon deduced that the boy did not want to be submerged in water again.

"There's a shower in the end of the bathroom corridor, at the second floor." Tamaki informed. Koushiro sighed in relief.

The children followed Tamaki's instructions and got to the second floor. Takeru stayed with him in order to get sheets for the egg. The adult took the small kid to a room in which the floor was made of mattresses and covered with many colorful pillows and sheets. The second grader made a little nest with the pillows and sheets and carefully rested the digitama in it.

"I'm sorry for what happened to your partner." Tamaki said while sitting at the boy's right.

"He evolved and saved us all from Devimon." Takeru replied, looking away. "He was very brave…"

"You liked each other very much, right?" The man had a nostalgic voice. "I used to be like that with my digimon partner."

"You had a partner?" Takeru asked, turning to look at the other's face.

"Kind of… well, real Tamaki had a partner. He was a chosen child, after all." Tamaki said, vaguely. It was a hurtful subject for him.

"Real Tamaki?" The little boy was confused.

"I think it's better to explain that when everybody is reunited." Tamaki opinionated. "Let me just tell you that I'm not exactly a human being. I'm an enhanced copy of one. There are three other people like me… although there had been five of us long ago…"

Takeru guessed that the heartbroken expression of the adult had to do with the child that Devimon had killed.

"The chosen children who survived… are they okay?" Takeru questioned.

"I see that you've heard about Shin-chan's death." Tamaki murmured. "I'll tell you guys the whole story during the meal."

The man stood up and left Takeru there with the egg. He headed back to the kitchen and continued his attempts to call Kanda using the cone. Soon, he gave it up and called another person.

A hologram appeared above the cube and showed a young woman with long black hair and black eyes, wearing a white kimono, in a place that resembled a dojo. There was hair covering part of her face, so she used her right hand to move it away from her eyes. She had a gray tattoo on the back of that hand: a cross with four triangles around it.

"Hello, Homura-chan." Tamaki had urgency in his voice.

"What's the matter, Tamaki-san?" She questioned, not showing interest.

"Could you please explain me why there are five human children in this world and why Kanda asked me to take them to your town?" The man's voice was filled with controlled fury.

"We knew that you wouldn't react well to that." Homura replied impatiently.

"You can bet that I'm not reacting well!" Tamaki almost screamed, punching the table. "After everything that happened to us, how could you bring other innocent children to this Hell?! If Otae-chan hears about this, she'll kick your butts so hard-"

"If that coward ever returns, I'll be the one beating her up!" Homura interrupted, angrily.

"She lost her little brother." Tamaki defended his friend.

"She abandoned us!" Homura's tone became more ferocious. Realizing that, she took a deep breath and calmed down. "Anyway, as you remember, the crests don't work with us anymore and we can barely keep our partners in their current forms. It was necessary to bring new children in order to reactivate the crests and protect the Digital World. They must come to Aurora Town to get the two crests we hid here."

"Unbelievable…" Tamaki could not accept what the woman was saying. "Do you not see the immorality of bringing them here and make them fight?"

"It won't be like in our time." Homura promised. "We can help them! We can make them stronger and protect them! Our partners won't stop the Dark Masters for long!"

"THIS IS WRONG!" Tamaki yelled. "How can you not understand that? You've kidnapped children and turned them into targets! This is not their fight!"

"It wasn't our fight either!" Homura retorted.

"So what? Because we suffered it means that we get to make others suffer as well?" Tamaki could not agree with her.

"Kanda and I had no pleasure in deciding this. There was no other way! If we don't stop _her_ forces immediately, both the Digital World and the Human World will be doomed!"

"If you think I'm going to accept those excuses, you are so very wrong, Homura-chan." Tamaki had a menacing tone.

"The decision to fight is up to those children, not to you." Homura replied in the same tone. "Once we explain everything, I'm sure they'll understand why we brought them here."

"I'm not going to let you manipulate those kids the same way the Academy did to us!" Tamaki roared, turning the communicator off. When he turned around, Takeru was at the entrance of the kitchen, staring at him.

 _Did he follow me?_ Tamaki wondered. He gave the boy a reassuring smile, before saying:

"There's nothing to worry about. I'll find a way to send you and your friends home."

Takeru' body was tense, but exhaled determination. The little child clenched his fists and contracted his eyebrows, and then he stated:

"I'm not going to let anyone destroy the Digital World!"

Jyou was the first one to finish his bath, in spite of Gomamon's insistence on staying longer in the water. The boy left the aquatic mammal in the bathtub and found new clothes folded on a bench in the bathroom, where he had left his original ones. They were simple: brown shorts and a blue shirt with long sleeves. _I didn't see the door being opened. When were the clothes changed?_ He asked himself.

The bathroom was circular and had at least 12 meters of diameter. Like the rest of Tamaki's house, the ceiling and the walls were all white. That did not bother the sixth grader, who found the decoration similar to the one of a hospital. The bathtub was like a small square pool and had hot water and bubbles. The child believed that it had been the best bath he had in his life. He looked at his reflexion at the mirror above the comber while he dried himself with a yellow towel. There were marks on his body reminiscent from the dark claws' grip.

"It's okay now. It's over." He muttered to himself, closing his eyes. The boy put on the clean clothes and the glasses he had left on the comber, and then he opened the door to the outside. Gomamon left the bathtub when he saw his partner getting out of the bathroom and quickly followed him, what made Jyou complain about him for making the floor wet.

From the door across the corridor, Mimi and Palmon came out. The fourth grader was wearing jeans shorts and a large pink shirt. She looked exhausted.

"Did you enjoy the bath?" Jyou asked in a polite tone.

Mimi merely nodded. Gomamon called Palmon and asked to talk to her in private. The plant digimon looked at Mimi and the girl told her she could go.

Alone with the fourth grader, Jyou approached her slowly.

"I keep thinking about it all." Mimi muttered, upset. "Not just Devimon's fight. All the horrible things that happened to us… I'm all marked…"

"My body is like that too, it will vanish with time." Jyou tried to comfort her.

"It's not just my body." Mimi contested. "When I try to think about my life from before, it feels like a distant past. I don't think I can imagine myself back home anymore."

"We are going back home, Mimi-kun!" Jyou promised. "We already found an adult! I'm sure that we're close to-"

"Even if I go back home, can I go back to my life?" Mimi interrupted, beginning to cry. "Will I still enjoy what used to make me happy? I can't imagine myself laughing with my friends or having fun with my parents anymore… everything became just so awful… am I going to feel like this forever?"

Jyou grabbed the girl's hands and squeezed them.

"We can't erase the horrible things that happened and I agree that we're not going to be the same people we were before but that doesn't mean that our lives are ruined! We had good experiences in the Digital World too, right?" Jyou spoke with certainty. "We learned important things and we are more mature than before. I guarantee you, Mimi-kun, no matter how bad you feel right now, that pain won't last forever."

"Thank you, Jyou-san." Mimi said, drying the tears with the backs of her hands after Jyou let them go. "You are so kind to me."

"You're the kindest one." Jyou made an affirmation. The two of them walked down the corridor and found Gomamon and Palmon talking through whispers, unaware that their partners were listening behind them.

"We need to become stronger." Gomamon said. "Our luck is not going to last forever. Today we almost lost them."

"It's true." Palmon sounded depressed. "Do you think they blame us? We couldn't protect them."

"Hey, what's this sad talk?" Mimi shouted, putting a smile on her face. The pair of digimon turned around, surprised.

"Mimi!" Palmon exclaimed, relieved to see that her friend's mood had gotten better.

"There's no need for you two to over worry by yourselves." Jyou told them.

"What? You're going to join us in the over worry business?" Gomamon joked.

"If it helps!" Jyou smirked, which made his partner blush.

"I'm starving, let's go eat already." Mimi complained.

"We should wait for the others, Mimi-kun." Jyou scolded her.

"You're no fun, Jyou-san." Mimi laughed.

Gomamon and Palmon looked at them with admiration. Human beings could be incredibly strong.

In Sora's bathroom, the girl had put on a green shirt and jeans pants. She was staring at her own reflexion at the mirror, with Piyomon by her side.

"Sora, you're so quiet. Do you want to talk?" The bird digimon asked, concerned.

"You can go on ahead, Piyomon. I'm just going to fix my hair. Don't worry, everything is okay." The girl gave her friend a small smile and the digimon did as she said.

After the door closed, Sora put both her hands on the comber and leaned forward, getting closer to the mirror. She thought that she had the face of someone who could start crying at any moment.

 _This isn't good_ , she thought. _I need to show more confidence and strength. The others are already too overwhelmed; I can't be another cause of worry to them._

She forced her smile in front of the mirror and rehearsed, with her best cheerful voice:

"Don't worry, guys, it's going to be…"

Memories flashed before her eyes: the illusionary Taichi offering to take over for her and then ripping her heart out, the fight against Andromon and Koushiro possessed, the discussion with Jyou, Takeru being kidnapped by Devimon, the time when she thought that Koushiro was going to die due to an injury in his head, when she saw Devimon's memory, when Devimon had trapped them and was tauntingly asking who he would torture first.

Her body shivered and she fell to her knees, crying. The girl tried to muffle her sobbing by covering her mouth with her hands.

 _It's going to be alright._ She said in her mind. _We are all going to be okay._

In Koushiro's bathroom, the boy took the shower first. The bath did not take too long because the fourth grader had started trembling the second the hot water touched his skin. He washed himself well enough and hurried to take the towel.

"Koushiro-han, talk to me." Tentomon pleaded.

"It's your turn to take a shower, Tentomon." Koushiro murmured, putting on the clothes (black shorts and white shirt) that had been left on the bench.

"Why don't you tell me what happened when you were alone with Elecmon?" Tentomon asked.

"Why don't you tell me about the nightmare that has made you so scared?" Koushiro replied with another question, in an attempt to avoid answering.

"Don't compare the two things! What happened to you was real!" Tentomon got mad.

"Okay…" Koushiro muttered, looking down. "Elecmon left me at the well. He had heard when I said that the wind in the tunnel sounded like a voice and thought that…"

"Thought what?"

"He thought that… maybe… the Spirit of the World was trying to talk to me." Koushiro made sure to phrase that in a way to demonstrate the absurdity of that idea. "He thought that this… entity would show me how to protect the babies and did not allow me to leave until I received a revelation. Crazy, right?"

"You did save the babies." Tentomon was remembering how Koushiro had typed something on his computer and white light had come out of it.

"I figured it out!" Koushiro stated quickly. "I had a lot of time to think inside the…"

He could not finish the sentence. The boy felt the need to sit down on the bench and did so.

"How did that happen, Koushiro-han?" Tentomon asked, getting close to him. "How did you fall?"

Koushiro gulped and trembled lightly, closing his eyes fiercely.

"Tentomon, are you sure Homeostasis has left me?" The boy made that question with a pained face.

"Yes." Tentomon did not think twice. "Andromon scanned you and said that. He had no reason to lie. Why do you ask?"

"I…" Koushiro hesitated. He opened his eyes and stared at Tentomon, knowing that he did not want to deceive his precious friend. "I thought it was just the wind in the tunnel… but then I started to listen to it outside too. It was coming from the well…"

"What was coming from the well?"

"The lullaby… and I recognized their voices from the memory Homeostasis showed me…" Koushiro began to cry, visibly scared. "I heard my biological parents singing to me from inside the well…"

That information shocked and terrified Tentomon.

"It's not possible… Homeostasis couldn't…"

"Then it was just me." Koushiro spoke fearfully. "Maybe I'm losing my mind. Tentomon, they… I could hear them talking to me in the well… t-they said they missed m-me… t-they said they wanted to be with me a-again…"

Tentomon hugged his partner tightly, as scared as the other was. Koushiro hugged back, letting the tears wash the digimon's back.

"You're not losing your mind!" Tentomon stated with a conviction he had never showed before. "Neither is Homeostasis haunting you! Neither are your parents trying to get you back! You have just been through a lot of bad things! It's going to get better, I promise! I'm going to protect you from e-everything."

Tentomon began to cry as well, which made Koushiro feel guilty.

"Tentomon, I'm sorry…"

"It's okay. You thought you had heard something, leaned down and fell. It was an accident." Tentomon reassured.

"That's not…" Koushiro broke apart from the hug and looked into his partner's eyes. The bug digimon could see great confusion and shame on the boy's face.

The human gathered all of his courage, so he could make the hardest confession of his life:

"I'm not sure how it happened. It was like I couldn't control my body…" His voice was barely audible. "Tentomon… I think I jumped into the well."


	11. Well

The only light in the underground corridor was coming from Koushiro's laptop. The boy walked in front, with Sora and Piyomon right behind him. Tentomon was, for some reason, keeping the greatest distance from the boy.

"Look!" Sora said, pointing ahead. In the middle of the darkness, about twenty meters onwards, there seemed to be a point illuminated. The children and the digimon rushed there and found the end of the corridor. One step forward and they would fall into a large pool of ten meters of diameter, thirty centimeters below the level of the hall. Around the mass of water, there was a circular brick wall approximately twelve meters tall. Above them, the night sky was visible.

"Piyomon, could you evolve and fly with us out of here?" Sora asked her friend.

The bird digimon's reaction was a bit delayed. Regardless, she jumped forward and let the light of the machine in Sora's belt wrap around her, becoming Birdramon. Sora quickly climbed on one of Birdramon's feet.

Koushiro had shut down the computer and was placing it inside his backpack. He was close to the edge and quickly glanced at the water below.

His reflection was so distorted that the boy had the feeling that it belonged to someone else. Someone with curly black hair and light brown eyes.

Then, Koushiro listened to a pair of voices singing softly: one male and one female.

 _"_ _It's time to sleep, my child."_

 _"_ _You are back in your home."_

 _"_ _Fear nothing, my child."_

 _"_ _We are here with you."_

 _"_ _Worry not, my child."_

 _"_ _You are where you belong."_

"Koushiro-han?" Tentomon called the boy, who seemed to be completely lost in thoughts. Startled, Koushiro looked around, as if trying to locate someone.

"Is there something wrong?" Sora asked.

"… No…" The boy was evasive. "I thought I had heard something."

"It was the wind." Tentomon assured him.

"Yes…" Koushiro agreed, reluctantly, climbing on Birdramon's other foot. _I was just imagining things. It couldn't be… they couldn't…_ After leaving the well, the boy had believed he would never have to return there.

He was proven wrong the next morning.

 **Chapter 11: Well**

"Why did you bring me here?" Koushiro asked Elecmon, trying to conceal his fear.

"You know why." Elecmon replied, piercing the human with his eyes. "You have heard the Call."

"Call?" Koushiro asked, confused. Then, he remembered the talk Elecmon had with him, Sora, Piyomon and Tentomon the night before. "Do you mean the Call of Fate?"

"The Spirit of the World has revealed itself to you, like it did to me a long time ago. And it did that when I was praying for a way to save the babies."

"You're mistaken." Koushiro said, nervously. "I didn't have any revelation! Nobody talked to me!"

"You don't really believe in that." Elecmon stated, which made the boy gulp.

"It was just the wind…" The human wanted to believe in that.

"Stop lying to yourself!" Elecmon commanded.

"I'm not lying to myself!" Koushiro raised his voice. "Besides, what I thought I heard… it certainly wasn't a godlike entity trying to talk to me!"

"How can you be so sure?" Elecmon inquired. "Fate takes on different forms and uses different words depending on the person."

"I suppose that 'Fate' you talk about is good, right?" The human asked, bitterly.

"Of course." The other confirmed.

"If what I heard was not a product of my imagination… if it was someone…" The boy trembled, recalling the lullaby. "Someone _good_ wouldn't do that to me or anyone else."

"You can't escape Fate." Elecmon told him. "If I'm right, the message the Great Spirit of the World has for you will save this Village. You must accept it or everything will be lost."

Koushiro raised an eyebrow.

"Did you bring me here in the hopes of a miracle?" He asked, incredulous.

"Only a miracle can help us now. And I trust you not to condemn us with your lack of faith." Elecmon spoke with reverence and the human knew that it was not directed at him.

"That's not a good plan." Koushiro remarked. The digimon walked away without saying anything else.

The boy sat down, took off his backpack, opened it and took out the computer. Elecmon's proposition was absurd, but the child did want to help the babies and his friends. Koushiro concluded that he had to find an answer on his own.

 _"_ _Sweet child, child of light, please come with us."_

The male voice sang and Koushiro got chills. He let the computer on the grass and turned around.

 _"_ _Come back to us, we miss you every day."_

Now it was the female voice Koushiro had known first as belonging to Homeostasis. The boy covered his ears, with no effect.

 _"_ _Don't fight, you belong with us."_

"It's not real!" Koushiro told himself. "They're not here! They're not alive!"

 _"_ _We miss you, son."_

 _"_ _We love you."_

 _"_ _Come back to us."_

 _"_ _Be with us forever."_

The human endured that for hours, doing everything in his power to distract himself from the voices and find a solution to protect the Village. But the voices continued to sing and became louder. Covering his ears, humming, reciting scientific facts aloud… nothing stopped them. They were as loud as screams and came from the well.

"SHUT UP!" Koushiro shouted, mentally exhausted, getting up and going to the well. Next to the short brick wall, he glanced down, finding nothing beyond water.

 _There's nobody there! I was right! I was just imagining things. It couldn't be them… and it couldn't be any Spirit of the World or other nonsense. Homeostasis is gone, it couldn't… it's alright… all is well. It was the wind. My mind was playing tricks with me._

"Listen!" A male voice ordered. Koushiro could not move or emit any sound. He felt as if he was trapped in his own body.

"You wish to join your parents." The voice continued, coldly.

 _I do not!_ The boy cried in his mind.

"Your parents are calling. You must obey."

 _I don't want to die!_ Koushiro protested mentally. However, he walked forward and stepped on the little wall.

"You want to be with them."

 _I don't want to die!_

"Stop lying to yourself."

 _Elecmon is close! He's going to help me, right? Someone is going to save me, right?_

"You are acting on your own will."

 _I'm not! Whatever you are, stop controlling me!_

"You were the one to call me a 'product of your imagination.' If there's no outside force moving you, then all of your actions are caused by you."

 _No, it can't… I'm not doing this! I don't want to do this! I-I'm not… it can't be Fate… it can't be Homeostasis… it… is it me? Am I…?_

 _"_ _Come, my child."_ The woman sang. _"We wait for you in home."_

 _I don't…_

 _"_ _Don't fight, love, it will be over soon."_

 _I…_

 _"_ _Come to where you belong."_

 _I… want…_

 _"_ _Sleep now, we'll watch you."_

Koushiro felt his body falling. Did he move his legs? Was that his doing? Soon, he hit the cold water and sank, quickly, being surrounded by deep and heavy darkness. The boy attempted to swim but he felt two pairs of hands grabbing his own hands and pulling him down. Were there really hands in that place? Or was he simply letting himself sink? Koushiro no longer knew what was real. Was he really trying to end himself?

But it could not be true. Not after everything Tentomon and the others had done for his sake! Not when the parents who had raised and loved him were waiting for his return! Koushiro could not die! He was not entitled to it!

"This is what your heart truly desires." An unknown voice spoke. Koushiro saw, in his front, a distorted reflection of a boy with light brown eyes and curly black hair; the same one from the night before. Now that Koushiro thought about it, those features were similar to his adoptive mother's. And that voice reminded him of his adoptive father's, although it sounded younger.

The lack of oxygen was making it hard to think and the boy knew that his body would soon let the water rush into his lungs. Those were most likely his last seconds of life and maybe everything he saw were hallucinations. He could feel the two pairs of hands holding him tightly. The soft voices of his birth parents told him not to worry because his pain would end soon. Meanwhile, in his front, the boy was confronted by a reflection of someone who resembled his current parents.

"No matter how much you tried, you could never fit in. You never saw yourself belonging with them." The other spoke. "You're such a pathetic and cowardly creature, so unlike the child of light who is to come. But for now, you are of use. I'll borrow this body you despise and do what I was asked."

Koushiro could no longer see anything. He remembered his mouth being forcibly opened and swallowing the water. And the excruciating pain taking him over. After that, he remembered waking up on the grass. The computer had been turned on and Tentomon had told the boy he had worked on it. But Koushiro did not remember any of that. Did he do that and forget? Was that his doing at all? His biological parents' voices, him being held down, the perverse reflection that was similar to them, the step forward… or was it a jump? To think about those things drove him to despair. Luckily, he did not have to dwell on those things yet. Devimon's threat had pushed everything to the back of his mind.

However, now all that pain had resurfaced, brought back by Tentomon's questioning. Koushiro had believed that things would be better now that he had begun to open his heart. After all, talking to his partner had helped him immensely before. After looking into the darkness in his soul and pronouncing that confession, the child waited for Tentomon to say something. He expected that his friend would once again bring him peace.

That did not happen.

Those words sank slowly and felt like they were physically bringing the digimon down. Koushiro's crying face crushed Tentomon's heart. But that pain was nothing compared to the one caused by his partner's words.

 _I think I jumped into the well._

Flashes of the nightmare haunted him. Space itself being devoured by nothingness, pieces of glass floating, and Koushiro was there, smiling. Not running, not fighting. And the unknown voice announced what he was about to do.

"You are mistaken!" Tentomon stated, more to convince himself than the other.

"Tentomon, I…"

"You're confused and you're misremembering things!" Tentomon assured, holding the boy by the shoulders as he leaned back. "You said it yourself that you were not sure about what happened!"

"Tentomon, please, listen to me!" Koushiro pleaded. Now that he had gotten to that point, he could not hold back anymore. "I remember walking to the well… I remember stepping on the little wall around it…"

"No!" The digimon shook his head furiously; his grip on Koushiro was getting tighter, hurting the boy.

"Please, listen!" The boy cried. "You're the only one I can talk about this… and I need to… I'm s-so scared…"

"There's nothing to be scared about, Koushiro-han! You just thought that you had heard something and then fell-"

"Why are you doing this?!" Koushiro almost shouted, desperate. With his trembling hands, he forced Tentomon to let go of him. "Why are you not listening to what I'm telling you? Didn't you want me to open up to you before, back in the factory? I thought-"

"Koushiro-han!" Tentomon cut him off, crudely. "You would never jump! You would never do that to yourself! So let's stop with this nonsensical conversation!"

Koushiro's eyes were completely opened, expressing the boy's shock. Why was Tentomon acting like that? After he had made Koushiro trust him, after he had made the boy vulnerable, after he had promised to be by his side in those terrible moments, how could Tentomon go back on his words now? The boy felt betrayed and angry. But then, an explanation rose in his mind. Maybe, what he had revealed had been too much for Tentomon. Koushiro had become greedy. He was led to believe that he was entitled to share his darkness with someone and expect comfort in return. Now he realized that was not the case. He had gone too far and his selfishness had cost him his friend's willingness to listen to his problems.

"We should eat." Tentomon suggested, heading to the door. "After you put something warm in the stomach and have a good night of sleep, I'm sure you'll feel better."

The human did not reply nor did the digimon turn around to wait for an answer. While Koushiro stayed sat on the bench, Tentomon grabbed the knob, opened the door and crossed to the other side, closing it behind him. The ladybug creature did not move for the first couple of seconds. All the determination he had forged now crumbled, making the insect slide against the door and sit on the floor. His heart was beating so loudly that Tentomon could hear it. The image of his friend in the nightmare came back. From the other side of the door, he could listen to the human's muffled sobs, which made his own eyes be flooded with tears. But Tentomon resisted the urge to cry. He forced himself to believe that there was no reason for that. It had been a meaningless nightmare followed by a meaningless accident.

 _Koushiro-han is going to be alright. Everything is well._

"Did you two have a fight?" A voice he knew spoke at his right. Tentomon turned his head in that direction and saw Piyomon giving him a severe look.

"Were you listening?" The insect inquired coldly.

"The walls and doors are very thick; I didn't come close enough to be able to hear anything. But I can tell that something bad happened just by looking at you."

"There's nothing for you to worry about." Tentomon made an affirmation, ready to fly away from her, but Piyomon grabbed his left leg and forced him to stay on the floor.

"I'm getting tired of your lies, Tentomon!" Piyomon's voice was harsh. "What is making you so scared?"

"I'M NOT SCARED!" Tentomon roared. Piyomon took a step back, in surprise. Two meters down the corridor, Sora was leaving her bathroom; the shout made her go check what was happening. She found the pair of digimon staring at each other angrily.

"What's happening here?" The girl inquired, worried.

Tentomon set flight and left without answering. Sora gazed at Piyomon, but the bird looked down, annoyed.

"Piyomon, why were you arguing with Tentomon?" The girl questioned, softly.

"Because liars get on my nerves." The digimon replied in low voice, walking down the corridor.

Sora felt pierced by those words, and wondered if Piyomon was talking about her. Could the digimon tell that Sora was hiding her desperation with all her energy? She shook the thoughts out of her mind; her friend was not someone who made passive aggressive comments.

A door was half opened at her right and Koushiro peeked through the opening. His eyes were red and his skin was pale and wet.

"Didn't you hear Tentomon and Piyomon arguing?" The girl asked.

"I heard Tentomon saying that there was nothing to worry about." Koushiro replied in low voice.

"Are you okay, Koushiro-kun?" It was evident to Sora that the boy had been crying. Not unlike her.

"I'm as okay as the next person." Koushiro tried to smile but his lips simply trembled. He stared at the swollenness under Sora's eyes.

"How am I supposed to interpret that?" The girl questioned. She was, after all, the next person in that sentence. And, albeit she did not let her true feelings out, she knew that she was not okay. Could Koushiro know about her state of mind and that comment was a veiled cry for help? He did see into her mind once; maybe that enabled him to know when Sora was lying. The girl did not know what to do.

"I don't know." Koushiro muttered, looking away. "Tentomon told me to put something warm in my stomach."

"That's a good idea. Do you mind if I accompany you?" Sora was glad for the change of subject.

"Of course not." Koushiro attempted to sound friendly. The pain in his chest was still too intense, though.

They both walked side by side, without sharing other words or looking at each other. When they got to the kitchen, everybody else was there, eating. Takeru was sitting across from Tamaki, staring at the man with ferocity; Piyomon was at the blond boy's left. Mimi and Jyou were side by side on Tamaki's left, while Gomamon and Palmon were at the man's right. Tentomon was at the head of the table, opposite to the entrance of the kitchen. Sora sat at Takeru's right and Koushiro sat next to the fifth grader. After they were reunited at the table, Takeru spoke:

"Everybody is here now. Please, start talking." Takeru demanded, which surprised the other kids and digimon. It was strange for the boy to speak in such a rude tone. "You said you'd only do it with everybody reunited."

"I know what I said." Tamaki's voice sounded bitter. He briefly glanced at the other children before beginning his narration:

"We were five children who lived in an orphanage: Kanda-kun, Otae-chan, Homura-chan, Shin-chan and me. None of us had any family who would look for us. One day, we were brought to the Digital World, where five digimon were waiting for us. A group called the Academy was also waiting for us. A Piximon from that group told us that we had been chosen to save the World from a tyrannical Queen, head of another group called the Sanctuary. The thing is: the messengers of the Sanctuary attempted to talk to us many times before engaging in combat. But the pressure of the Academy was too strong… they made us feel that, if we didn't fight the Sanctuary, we would be their accomplices and, therefore, villains…"

Cold sweat was covering Tamaki's forehead. His hands were shaking over the table and he looked down with a pained expression.

"We were just children cast aside by society…" He continued. "… and suddenly, we were heroes… suddenly, we were the most important people in the world and there were lives depending on us. The polarization in the Digital World back then was unbearable. Yet, the so called 'evil Queen' kept trying to talk to us. If only we had given her a chance… if only we had listened… maybe Angemon wouldn't have killed Shin-chan."

"Angemon?!" Mimi asked, disturbed.

"Devimon used to be an Angemon before." Takeru explained, briefly.

Astonished, Mimi looked at the faces of the other children and digimon in search of signs of surprise, but only found it on Jyou's face.

"Shin-chan's big sister, Otae-chan…" Tamaki continued, "… she used to be such a happy person. She was so intelligent, impulsive, straightforward… brave… it was like something had taken hold of her heart. When I looked in her eyes, instead of infinite wonder… all I could see was endless darkness. And that darkness contaminated the others, Kanda-kun most of all. My group became convinced that the Sanctuary and its supporters had to be eliminated. We did so many horrible things… I can still see the digimon we killed… I can still hear them begging for mercy…"

Tamaki covered his face with his shaking hands and broke down in tears. Mimi, who was next to him, tried to comfort the man somehow but she was lost of words. All the girl could do was to put one of her hands on Tamaki's arm.

"Why do you refer to those events as if they had happened to you?" Takeru inquired. "You told me that you were a clone of the real Tamaki."

"A clone?!" Sora was perplexed.

"It's true, I am a clone. The other three also have clones here in the Digital World." Tamaki uncovered his face, looking into Takeru's eyes. "After we defeated the Queen and banished her to a dark dimension along with…" Tamaki gulped, "… corrupted data, our partners had become the strongest digimon in the world, known as the four holy beasts. Shin-chan's partner, Dorumon, died in combat not long after his friend. With the goal of keeping the digimon in that elevated state, the Academy decided to clone the chosen children… and make the clones immortal adults with no biological needs who retained all their memories."

A dark expression appeared on the man's face. Takeru did not seem to be bothered by it.

"The fact remains that it wasn't you who lived those things." The younger boy pointed it out. "How can you be sure that what you remember really did happen? I find it hard to believe that this 'Queen' Devimon loved so much could've had something good in her."

"You're such a kid." Tamaki said with melancholy. "This might be a shock for you but nobody is completely good or evil. There's darkness in you just like there was light in Devimon."

"Devimon killed my friend!" Takeru stated as he punched the table, feeling tears flooding his eyes. "There was nothing good in him or anyone related to him! They were all villains!"

Sora, Mimi, Jyou and the digimon stared at Takeru, perplexed. The little boy's emotional unbalance was becoming more evident.

The sound of glass cracking was heard. A cup of juice had escaped Koushiro's hands and fell on the table, spreading the orange liquid and a few shards. The boy's face was deadly pale and his pupils contracted.

"Koushiro-kun?" Sora called him, concerned.

"Sorry." Koushiro replied, blinking. He was about to stand up but Tamaki stopped him, saying that the cup could be easily fixed and the boy should not worry about it. Suddenly, the black cone on the table began to whistle, which disturbed the man.

"Excuse me," Jyou said, pointing to the cone, "why is that object doing that?"

"It's a communicator, I saw Tamaki-san talking to a lady before." Takeru explained, calmer.

"Ignore that." Tamaki did not want to deal with one of his former friends at that moment. Takeru disobeyed, stretching his right arm to touch the cone. A hologram of a person with the upper part of the face covered by a hood appeared.

"Greetings!" The stranger said, with a smile. "It's good to see that you are all safe and well, Takenouchi Sora, Tachikawa Mimi, Kido Jyou, Takaishi Takeru and Izumi Koushiro. I have been eager to talk to you."

"Kanda-kun!" Tamaki hissed. "Do you admit that you've brought these children here against their will? How could you?"

"It was a desperate measure for a desperate situation." Kanda had a tranquil voice. "And call me Gennai."

Tamaki rolled his eyes, angry.

"So you really brought us here?" Sora asked. "For what reason?"

"To put it simply, you were chosen because you are compatible with the crests." Kanda explained. "They don't work with us anymore and our partners, who once were the strongest digimon, nowadays are being cornered by the Sanctuary's major offensive force: the Dark Masters. Hundreds of digimon have died during this conflict. As if that's not bad enough, Vamdemon, another soldier of the Sanctuary, has been recruiting an army for an invasion."

"Invasion?" Jyou asked, fearful.

"I have reasons to believe that his plan is to conquer the human world." Kanda confirmed the boy's suspicion.

The atmosphere became filled with terror.

"Digimon want to invade our world?!" Sora had a desperate tone.

"W-what do they want to do there?" Mimi was anxious.

"The Sanctuary has never showed interest in the human world before!" Tamaki was skeptical.

"Many things have changed." Kanda's voice was cold. "They want to destroy the Digital World and invade the human world. What they'll do once they get there is up to the imagination. Genocide? Slavery? Prisoner camps?"

"Stop it!" Mimi pleaded, covering her ears. "I don't want to imagine that! Papa and Mama…"

"Mimi-chan, please calm down." Sora left her seat and went to the younger girl's side.

"You were talking about crests." Takeru questioned, seemingly unaffected. "What are those?"

"Think of them as mystical stones, assigned to each one of you to grant the digimon the power to evolve to higher levels." Kanda told him. "We were their first owners and thanks to them the holy beasts were born. However, they no longer work with us. That's why you were brought here. The digivices you were given, those little machines you have, were built in a way to allow them to absorb the crests and make your partners reach even the ultimate level."

"Ultimate?" Gomamon asked, amazed. "C-can we really evolve to ultimate level?"

"That's the strongest a digimon can be!" Palmon was astonished.

"Stronger than perfect level?" Sora inquired.

"A lot stronger!" Piyomon stated. "If I can evolve to ultimate, I won't let anything bad ever happen to Sora! We would be invincible!"

"Then, with that power, we can stop the evil digimon from hurting innocents and putting our world in danger!" Takeru affirmed, rising from his seat with a look of determination. "Patamon would never get hurt again."

"There are two crests in Aurora Town." Kanda continued. "One of them is in the giant cactus's flower and the other one is down in Raven's Canyon. The other three are currently missing but I'm putting all my effort into finding them."

"Three?" Tamaki was intrigued. "Otae-chan only has two of them, don't tell me…"

"Someone has stolen the crest of Love from inside my base." Kanda said with controlled fury. "We only know about the location of the crests of Honesty and Purity for now."

"We can go tomorrow to that town and get those two crests already!" Takeru was excited.

"You children are not going anywhere!" Tamaki forbade them. "There's no way I'll materialize my base there to let you run to your doom!"

"I can easily hack your base and take it to Aurora Town." Kanda defied the other.

"Don't you dare, Kanda-kun!" Tamaki had a menacing tone.

"The children should decide whether they want to save both worlds or not." Kanda said. "If in the next twelve hours you don't let them go, I'll open a door for them."

The hologram disappeared. Enraged, Tamaki picked the cone up and threw it against the floor, which did not cause the object any harm.

"What do we do?" Sora inquired nobody in particular; her voice was full of anguish.

"We'll have to fight more digimon as bad as Devimon?" Mimi wanted to cry. "Isn't there any other way?"

"I wish there was another way." Jyou spoke. "It's not fair but… if we don't fight, not only more digimon will suffer but even our world would be in danger. We can't just run from this."

"We have the moral duty to fight!" Takeru had an imperative voice. "We can't let the bad guys do as they please!"

"You just lost your digimon, Takeru-kun." Mimi was horrified. "How can you be so eager to put him in danger again? Don't you care about him?"

"Mimi-chan!" Sora believed the other girl had crossed the line.

"The only reason we are alive now is because Angemon fought for us!" Takeru disliked the fourth grader's words. "If nobody is willing to take risks like that, the digital world and our world will become graveyards! Do you want everybody to die, Mimi-san?"

"Takeru-kun, that's enough!" Sora scolded the younger boy. "I understand that you've suffered a great loss and that we are all over the edge here, but we can't start attacking each other like that!"

"Loss?" Koushiro smirked in a bitter way, attracting the attention of the other children.

"Is something funny?" Takeru questioned, seriously, getting closer to Koushiro.

"What did you lose, exactly?" The fourth grader boy asked, looking down on Takeru. "Didn't Angemon become an egg? He's going to be born again very soon."

Takeru got angry at Koushiro's dismissal of his pain.

"Patamon might never r-remember me again!" The youngest child's voice broke. "He might forget everything we lived together!"

"Wouldn't it be worse if he remembered dying?" Koushiro's tone became darker. "Don't you think about how that traumatic memory would affect him?"

"Koushiro-kun, there's no point in discussing this now." Sora wanted to make her kouhai stop.

"Of course there's a point." Koushiro affirmed, coldly. "He's in grief over someone who's alive. And he values his personal wishes over Patamon's mental well-being. What kind of person does that?"

That question made Takeru snap and push Koushiro off of his seat. Luckily, the fourth grader did not fall on the floor, managing to stay on his feet. Takeru put the chair out of the way and advanced against Koushiro, who easily held the little boy's menacing fists. Sora, Mimi and Jyou rushed to where the younger boys were.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU KNOW ABOUT ME?!" Takeru inquired, furiously. "YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH I'VE ALREADY LOST IN MY LIFE! YOU DON'T KNOW HOW THAT SOLITUDE FEELS!"

"Oh, you've lost a lot, Takeru-kun?!" Koushiro was not able to take the little boy seriously; he could not control his anger anymore. "Tell me about it! Tell me how lonely you are because your father and your brother, WHO ARE ALIVE, don't live with you anymore! Tell me about how in sorrow you are over your digimon's death THAT DID NOT LAST FIVE MINUTES!"

"KOUSHIRO-KUN, STOP IT!" Sora yelled, separating the two boys. Jyou and Mimi were too shocked to do anything but watch them.

"I can't take this anymore!" Koushiro let the tears stream down his face. "What do you think you know about loss, Takeru-kun? Have you ever actually lost someone? Is there anyone you can never see again unless you die? If not, then stop talking about things you don't understand! YOU DON'T KNOW HOW IT IS TO LOSE SOMEONE!"

Koushiro's words disturbed Takeru, who let his arms down. Sora was also shocked, staring at the fourth grader in disbelief.

"Koushiro-kun…" Jyou took a step forward. "Have you lost someone?"

"Leave him alone!" Tentomon ordered, flying from his seat. Koushiro took advantage of that moment and ran from the kitchen. Mimi ran after him, followed by Palmon.

"I'm going back to the bedroom where I left Patamon's digitama." Takeru murmured.

"Takeru-kun…" Sora was about to accompany the little boy but Takeru did not allow it.

"Please, Sora-san, I just need some time alone." He said, before leaving.

Tentomon sat down again, which annoyed Piyomon.

"Go after your partner!" The bird digimon commanded.

"Stay out of this! It has nothing to do with you!" Tentomon adopted a threatening tone.

"What's the matter with you, Tentomon?" Gomamon wondered aloud. The insect digimon flew away, leaving the kitchen, but going in the opposite direction of his partner.

Koushiro ran through the long corridor, taking five turns, until he felt too exhausted to continue. The boy leaned against the wall, panting. His face was still being washed by tears.

"Koushiro-kun!" Mimi called him, getting close to the boy along with Palmon. "What happened there? Why did you talk to Takeru-kun like that?"

During their time as classmates, Mimi had seen Koushiro being blunt to people before. The difference was that it never seemed that the boy had malicious intent; he was simply telling what he thought without thinking too much in how to phrase things. But what she had just witnessed was not like that.

"You were mean to Takeru-kun!" She said. "And you said those things with the purpose of hurting his feelings!"

"I know what I did." Koushiro spoke with shame.

Mimi knew that Koushiro was not a bad person and that sometimes people said things in moments of emotional turmoil that they would regret later. She had done that many times herself. But it was hard to believe that the polite and self-controlled Koushiro would break down like that, to the point of shouting at someone and revealing something personal. The girl studied her classmate's crying face and trembling limbs and could only feel sorry for him.

"Talk to me." She spoke in an amicable tone, getting closer to him. "You've been bottling things up for a long time, haven't you? If you don't let them out, sooner or later you'll explode at someone again."

"Please, refrain from making assumptions about me." Koushiro asked, turning his face to the direction opposite to Mimi. "I'm not bottling things up."

"I'm not stupid, you know?" Mimi got offended. "And I can't stand people who lie to me! Or worse, who lie to themselves!"

Koushiro was still avoiding looking at her and Mimi was not going to tolerate that. She grabbed the boy by his left hand and pulled him. However, that action triggered a horrible memory in the red-haired child.

 _"_ _Sweet child, child of light, please come with us."_

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Koushiro screamed in agony, forcibly getting away from Mimi's grip. He lost his balance and fell on the floor, where he crawled away from the girl with an expression of panic and horror.

"W-what's wrong?" Mimi questioned, scared. "D-did I do something?"

But Koushiro forgot where he was. He saw himself back in the heavy darkness, where two pairs of hands attempted to drown him. No air entered his lungs.

"Koushiro-kun?" Mimi's fear increased when she noticed that the boy seemed to be suffocating. He looked at her with terror.

"I… I d-don't want… to d-die…" He gasped, collapsing to the ground, where his entire body started to shake violently and he fiercely closed his eyes. Mimi could no longer bear to look at that and kneeled next to him. Then, she embraced the boy with all her force and pulled him, making the red-haired kid sit up. Koushiro screamed and tried to break free but Mimi did not let him.

"You're safe now!" She shouted, among tears. "Nobody is going to hurt you here! I won't let anyone cause you harm, do you understand?"

"Breathe, Koushiro!" Palmon said. "You need to let the air in!"

"I-I'll d-drown… t-they'll take me away…" Koushiro sobbed.

"You're not in the water anymore! Nobody is trying to take you away!" Mimi reassured him, putting more strength into the hug. "You can trust me, Koushiro-kun! You are not in danger anymore!"

Slowly, Koushiro began to take air in. He was once again seeing his surroundings and noticed Mimi's proximity. His body started to relax but the girl would not let go of him.

"Mimi-san?" He murmured after a couple of minutes. Mimi gently loosened her grip and leaned back, so she could see the boy's face while keeping her hands on his shoulders.

"Are you feeling better?" She asked, worried. The tears were visible in her eyes.

Koushiro nodded, muttering "I'm sorry."

Mimi was not sure what he was apologizing for, specifically. She stood up and offered a hand to help him to stay on his feet again. Koushiro paled when he looked at the hand being offered to him; he stood up on his own.

"I'm going to wait until you're ready to talk." Mimi said, apologetically, wondering how her behavior had provoked that reaction.

"Thank you." Koushiro said, wiping his tears away. Mimi had rescued him from the darkness and the boy could not put in words all of his gratitude. His only way to pay her back would be to never reveal what was kept in his heart. That information had already burdened Tentomon; he could not do that to anyone else.

Without sharing other words, they walked back through the corridor. Koushiro's momentary peace would not last long.

 _"_ _Come back to us, we miss you every day."_

 _"_ _Don't fight, you belong with us."_

The lullaby had returned to haunt him.


	12. The west wind

**Chapter 12: The west wind**

Sora and Jyou had sat back in their chairs across from each other. Gomamon and Piyomon went, each, to the side of their respective partner. Tamaki grabbed a napkin from a drawer and silently cleaned the juice and the pieces of the broken cup from the table. The heavy atmosphere brought the adult bad memories.

"This kind of thing used to happen all the time in my group." Tamaki commented. "And it only got worse."

Jyou disliked what the man had said. It reminded him of his past pessimism, which he was determined to leave behind.

"Koushiro-kun and Takeru-kun only had a discussion. Our group isn't going to fall apart just because of it," He said, calmly.

Sora blinked in surprise. Was Jyou really being positive and not freaking out, for once? She examined the boy's posture with attention. _He's so tranquil. What happened to him?_

Tamaki stared at the children with pity. Then, he put the broken pieces of the cup in a nearby trash can and slowly walked to the entrance of the kitchen. Getting there, he stopped, without turning around to face the others.

"I used to be optimistic too… well, real Tamaki used to be like that. But optimism did not stop _those things_ from happening. I can't stop you from leaving but I beg you…" Tamaki clenched his trembling fists. "I beg you to discuss this carefully before making a decision."

"Tamaki-san, do you know of a way to send us home?" Sora asked.

"To be completely honest, I don't have the knowledge to open a portal to the human world yet. But I could search for a way and you could stay here while I do that. You'll be safe here." Tamaki had a pleading tone.

"But do you know someone who has that knowledge?" Sora insisted.

"Kanda-kun most likely has it. He has at his disposal all the files of the Academy, after all. But he wouldn't help you unless you acted according to his plans." The man spoke in a disgusted tone. "However," he said in a more neutral voice, "I believe that Otae-chan must've found a way. She could figure out anything on her own and I'm sure she would want to open a gate for you. Sadly, her current location is unknown."

"Then, in the end, it's a choice between staying here and hoping for you to find a way to send us home or seeking for Kanda-san's help, which would lead us to fight more digimon." Sora concluded.

"It's not just that. There's also the risk of the digimon invading our world and the innocent deaths occurring because of, from what I understood, Devimon's allies." Jyou pointed out.

"None of those things is your responsibility!" Tamaki stated, turning around. A spark was visible in his eyes. "Everything that was done to us… our present existence… it was all so we could protect the Digital World! I can't allow little children like you to do our job!"

"But Kanda-san said that you can't use the-" Jyou was about to contest.

"We'll find a way!" Tamaki asserted. "Don't you understand? We were literally fabricated so no other children would have to suffer the same way we did! If you still have to fight than all that happened to us will have been for nothing!"

The perplexed looks on the faces of the children and the digimon made Tamaki self aware. He looked down and quickly left the kitchen.

"What kind of horrible things happened to the original chosen children?" Gomamon questioned, startled.

"Do you mean besides one of them dying and the other four being cloned?" Piyomon had an uncharacteristically sarcastic tone that made Sora raise an eyebrow.

"He's not telling us the whole story." Jyou commented in low voice.

"What do you think, Jyou-sempai?" Sora asked.

"About what?" Jyou was confused.

"Do you think we should stay in this base?"

Sora's second question made Jyou quiet. He leaned back on his chair and took a breath before replying in a serious voice:

"What do you think we should do, Sora-kun?"

The girl paled.

"This is not fair, I asked first." She became defensive.

"I didn't mean that as a provocation, sorry." Jyou apologized. "What I meant was that I'm not sure about what to do. The cautious decision would be to stay here, where it's safe. But I don't want to hide in here while there are digimon and people who we could help. Besides…" The older child gave her a sober glance. "I no longer wish to decide things on my own and behave as if I'm right just because of my age. I want to listen to what all of you have to say and then form an opinion."

Jyou noticed how Sora straightened her posture and slightly opened her mouth and eyes.

"I bet I surprised you," the sixth grader smirked nervously.

"What happened to the person who was so willing to make _hard choices_ to protect the majority of the group?" Sora wondered in low voice.

The boy glanced down for a second; then he immediately looked up and set his eyes on her again.

"My decisions until now have been wrong." He admitted. "I've been so concerned about being responsible for you all that I didn't see how my anxiety was leading me to make terrible choices. The truth is that I'm not fit to be in charge. Unlike you."

"What does that mean?" Sora inquired almost inaudibly as fear emerged from the deepest corners of her being. _What is he saying?_

"Sora-kun, you've been a better leader than me all this time." Jyou told her, with a smile. "All the decisions you've made turned out to be beneficial for the group; all the times you took charge, you inspired the others and made them feel safe. Koushiro-kun wouldn't even be alive now if you hadn't disobeyed me in the factory! You are the person keeping us together and giving us courage. You are the most trustworthy member of this group!"

Sora stared at Jyou, stunned. The girl was horrified at how wrongly the other perceived her. But it was not only him. Mimi, Takeru, Koushiro, Piyomon… all of them had demonstrated at some point unfounded admiration for her. All of them had seen virtues in Sora that the fifth grader knew to be illusory. But Jyou had been the one to confront her; he had been the only person not to be fooled by her forced kindness. Even if he had hurt her feelings and touched on subjects that she was not willing to discuss, Sora was secretly glad that someone was able to see her flaws.

But now, even Jyou was being deceived by Sora's façade. She wanted to cry, to scream, to beat sense into him in order to make the older boy see the broken person she was inside. But she would never be able to do any of that.

Her silence made the boy afraid that he had upset her. _What is wrong? Am I forgetting something? Oh! Of course!_

"I also would like to apologize for arguing with you that day, when we were picking up wood." He spoke with shame. "I didn't mean to-"

"You all had been through a very dire situation; Sora understands that you were not in your right state of mind." Gomamon interrupted, attempting to diminish Jyou's guilt.

"Let him apologize." Piyomon scolded the other digimon. "That's what you're supposed to do when you make mistakes."

"I was pretty mean to you on that occasion as well, Jyou-sempai." Sora muttered, looking at the table. The other human had interpreted that as Sora accepting his apology.

"Then, we're good now, right?" He asked, to which the girl nodded. Her lack of enthusiasm still concerned him.

"Sora-kun, what else should I apologize for?" Jyou questioned, worried. "You're still upset."

The girl looked up. The sixth grader's anxious expression made her feel worse. She could just say that she never intended to lead, that everything she did was motivated by her desperate need to comfort the others, somehow. Sora could not stand to see children scared and hopeless. It hit too close home. However, that did not make her a leader. She could just tell the truth: _I don't want to be a leader_. Nevertheless, she knew it was too late. Jyou was already counting on her, like everybody else, in spite of all the tragedies that she could not stop. The least she could do was to stop him from worrying. Nobody should worry about her.

"I'm not upset, Jyou-sempai!" She stated with the brightest smile she could forge, while hiding her hands under the table. Nobody needed to see them trembling.

The sixth grader was not convinced. _There she is, hiding her true feelings again. Why does Sora-kun do that?_ Jyou wanted to confront her but remembered how that had resulted in him hurting her feelings in the past and did not wish to do the same again. Everybody was already too emotionally wounded; he should not contribute more to that state.

"Jyou!" Gomamon called, suddenly, attracting everybody's attention. The white digimon glanced at Sora for a couple of seconds, analyzing her. He believed that he had recognized that behavior and, because of that, he thought he knew how to make the human girl feel better without having to expose her state of mind. "It's not fair to let Sora decide everything on her own. You should take responsibility as well!"

"That's right." Piyomon agreed. "It's a decision that affects you all. You should make it together."

"I wasn't trying to throw all the responsibility on her, where did you get that from?" Jyou was offended by those accusations. "I think Sora-kun already acts as our leader and is very good at it but that doesn't mean I want to overwhelm her! On the contrary, I want to help as much as possible! Nobody should bear so much weight on their shoulders."

The girl genuinely smiled after hearing that. She should not have suspected his motivations. Jyou was not the kind of person who would ditch his responsibilities to someone else. Yet, the power of his words made her shiver. The sixth grader meant every word he had uttered, while he openly acknowledged what terrified him and apologized for his mistakes. And now he looked like a completely different person from the whiny boy she had believed him to be once. Was that empowerment related to Jyou's sincerity?

"Say, Jyou-sempai," the girl had a hesitant voice, "did you mean it when you called me insincere back then?"

Jyou gulped. For a couple of seconds, he considered lying to make the girl feel better but quickly shut the idea down. It would be disrespectful to do that and he believed that, despite the truth being hard to hear, Sora was strong enough to take it.

"I do think you are an insincere person." Jyou confirmed. "That's, in fact, one of the aspects of your personality that bothers me the most."

Sora looked down, ashamed, while Piyomon gave Jyou an enraged look. Gomamon, on the other hand, waited for the conclusion of the boy's line of thought that he rightfully knew was to come.

"However," Jyou continued, "I have several character flaws that bother you and the others. But I learned that I also have good aspects that are admirable." The boy smiled softly, remembering the conversation that he had with Mimi the night before Gomamon evolved. "Even if I'm imperfect and make lots of mistakes, I want to improve… I want to believe that I can do better if I have faith in myself and not forget the good that already exists in me. I believe you should do the same, Sora-kun. For starters, everybody already has faith in you."

Sora's eyes got very humid and she resisted the impulse to turn around to hide her tears. The girl rubbed her eyes lightly with her left hand before any drop escaped them. Sora could not find any word to say back to Jyou. She was not even sure how his speech was affecting her. One small part of Sora wanted to believe in that and follow the boy's advice; she even dared to want to believe that she was worthy of that kind of trust. However, her dominant side would not allow that.

"We should discuss with the others about what to do next." Sora said, after a long moment of silence. "I want to listen to what everybody has to say."

"Yes." Jyou agreed. He was under the impression that his attempt to help made Sora even sadder. That made the boy frustrated at himself. _Is there nothing I can do for Sora-kun?_

Meanwhile, Mimi, Koushiro and Palmon believed they had gotten lost in the corridors, which had many intersections. The girl watched the other child, silently. Koushiro was keeping his hands in his shorts' pockets and had a scared expression on his face. Mimi wanted him to talk to her, to cry, to do anything that would help him somehow. She hated to feel useless and everything in her soul shouted that she had to confront him until Koushiro opened up. She knew that he would not get better unless he did that. Nevertheless, the boy's panic attack was too fresh in her memory and Mimi was sure that her aggressive approach had caused that. She did not want to risk making him suffer again.

Eventually, Tamaki found them while on his way to somewhere else. When he saw the kids and the digimon, the man sighed.

"Sorry, I forgot to tell you, the structure of this base is always changing. I made it that way so I would never get bored." He explained, embarrassed. "I can tell all the corridors of this place apart, though, so I could take you anywhere you want. Would you like to return to the kitchen?"

"Actually, I'd like to talk to Takeru-kun. I need to apologize to him." Koushiro spoke in low voice.

"That's a good thing." Mimi commented, hoping that Koushiro was slowly going back to his normal self.

Tamaki guided them until the door of the room where Takeru was, telling the kids and the girl's partner about what had happened after they left the kitchen. The boy paled when he heard that Tentomon had flown away, distressed, but did not say anything about it. That lack of response made the other fourth grader more concerned. When they arrived in their destination, Tamaki took a piece of paper and a pen from one of his pants' pockets and drew a map for the boy. When the adult was about to leave, Mimi asked if she and Palmon could go with him, so Koushiro could talk to Takeru privately. Tamaki seemed to be indecisive but ended up agreeing. Alone, in front of the closed door, Koushiro wondered about what he should say.

"Takeru-kun, it's me, Koushiro." He began, uncertain. "I came here to apologize for the way I acted. I was irrational and insensitive… I shouldn't have talked to you like that considering…"

 _No, this isn't good enough_ , Koushiro thought. _I completely disrespected Takeru-kun's feelings after he had lost his partner… when he was in his most vulnerable…_

Against his will, the boy remembered how Tentomon had acted earlier that day.

"I was disturbed because of something else and took my frustration out on you." The boy admitted. "I thought that your pain wasn't as great as mine… that your problems weren't as serious as mine. But that's not how it works, is it? In the end, what matters is how things affect you and not what those things are."

Koushiro braced himself, closing his eyes for a second.

"I told you that you didn't know what loss was because you could still see those you lost but… to tell you the truth…" Koushiro hesitated. However, he knew that he owed Takeru better than a simple apology. "I barely remember the people I lost and I can't tell for sure whether the memories I have of them are real or not. We didn't get to actually know each other… I can't even say that I loved them."

The fourth grader felt his eyes getting warm and wetter and rubbed them with his right hand. No sound came from the other side of the door. Was Takeru really in there?

"What I meant to say was that you actually loved those who are not with you anymore… and you saw one of them dying. Even if Patamon comes back, it doesn't change how his death affected you. I'm… I'm not going to bother you anymore, sorry." The child said in an apologetic tone, ready to leave.

To his surprise, the door in his front was abruptly opened. At the other side, Takeru stared at him, still holding the knob. He studied Koushiro attentively. The other boy did not know how to read the expression on the face of the second grader. _Is he angry or sad?_

"Before coming to this world, I had never behaved like that." Takeru spoke, suddenly. "I hated when people fought and yelled at each other. Yet, I've done those things too many times in the last few days."

Takeru saw the astonished look the fourth grader gave him and continued to talk:

"My Mom always says that I'm level-headed for my age. Probably because I started reading some difficult books I found in the house. I was just trying to distract myself from the silence but at some point I started believing in that, I guess." Takeru looked down. "I think that's how my arrogance was born."

"I don't think you are arrogant, Takeru-kun." Koushiro told him.

"I think only my way is the right way…" Takeru's lips trembled. "I get mad when people disagree with me. But I wasn't aware of this side of myself before. I never considered that I would be this kind of person."

Takeru waited for Koushiro's response but none came. He looked up and saw the other boy staring at him, silently. His eyebrows were contracted and his eyes were half closed. The second grader turned around and returned to the nest of blankets and pillows he had prepared for Patamon's digitama. He sat in front of the egg and caressed it gently, with the open door at his back. Soon, Koushiro sat next to him on the fluffy floor.

"Why did you tell me that?" The red haired child asked, confused.

"I don't know." Takeru replied, without taking his eyes off the digitama. "You told me some heavy stuff… then, when I went to make amends, those things got out."

Takeru felt that Koushiro was examining him. A couple of minutes later, the fourth grader spoke again:

"I believe that was the first time I argued with anyone." He commented in low voice. "I've had dissenting opinions before but I had never gotten emotional like that. I also had never willingly tried to hurt someone else's feelings."

"I must've pushed you really bad." Takeru's guilt was increasing.

"It wasn't about you." Koushiro stated. "I shouldn't have confronted you like that."

"No." Takeru disagreed. "I said horrid things… and treated Tamaki-san and Mimi-san badly… after I calmed down I realized that."

Koushiro stayed silent. Takeru turned his head in the other boy's direction and saw how pale the fourth grader was.

"Anger is a scary thing." The second grader added. "It's like there's something else controlling you…"

Takeru noticed Koushiro trembling, subtly. The younger boy's eyes widened when he understood the reason for that.

"Sorry." The blond child apologized. "I didn't want to make you remember about Homeostasis."

Koushiro gulped, lowering his head.

"Did I scare you back then?" The fourth grader inquired, ashamed. "When Homeostasis was using my body?"

"Not as much as it must've scared you." Takeru replied. "Were you conscious all the time?"

Koushiro nodded.

"If that had happened to me..." Takeru started.

"I was the only one who could've fallen for that trick." Koushiro declared, darkly, getting up slowly.

"Why do you say that?" The younger child could not understand what the other meant.

Koushiro thought about his answer for a few seconds.

"Because you all are stronger than me." He muttered. "If you excuse me, I think I'll head back to the kitchen now. I've barely eaten anything."

"Would you mind if I went with you?" Takeru asked, for Koushiro's surprise.

"If you don't mind." The red haired boy said, smiling.

Takeru stood up, glancing at the enveloped digitama, wondering if his friend was sleeping in there.

"Why don't you bring him along?" The older child questioned.

Takeru's sight became blurry and he shuddered.

"I can't bear it yet." He replied.

At the same time the two boys were talking to each other, Mimi and Palmon had followed Tamaki to a dark room where there was only a computer on a desk and a chair at its front.

"This is my control room; it's where I come to manage the base." Tamaki explained, turning the large computer on and sitting down. "I'll set the automatic rebuild off."

Mimi watched the screen over the man's shoulder, without uttering any word.

"I wonder where Tentomon is now." Palmon said, trying to peek at the computer as well. She too was concerned and intrigued by the situation between the bug digimon and Koushiro.

"I can search for him." Tamaki offered, quickly typing. A simplified map of the base appeared; Mimi thought that it resembled a labyrinth. Eleven little lights were visible at it.

"This one is alone, it must be Tentomon. He's in the south, four turns to the right." Tamaki told them.

"Mimi, could I go after him?" Palmon asked.

"Yes, of course. We can meet in the kitchen later." Mimi agreed. Tamaki quickly drew a map in a piece of paper and gave it to Palmon. After the digimon had left, the girl observed Tamaki working on the computer. The tattoo on his hand caught her attention.

"What is that tattoo, Tamaki-san?"

Tamaki stopped moving. After a minute, he answered:

"The crest of Purity. At least its drawing." His voice was grave.

"Does that mean that you have a pure heart, Tamaki-san?" Mimi asked, interested.

"Real Tamaki had, for a while." He replied.

"What happened to the original children?" The girl questioned, frowning. "Did they go home? Did they…?"

Tamaki turned around in his chair and looked into her eyes with intensity.

"What do you think is the worst thing that could happen to you?" He inquired, seriously.

"Death." Mimi replied, soberly, after giving it some thought.

"You're so innocent." Tamaki smiled with sadness. "Do you think that if you survive and go home, you'll get to live the rest of your lives happily?"

Mimi did not have an answer for that and glanced down. The man continued:

"Do you think you've already been through a lot? The true horrors of this world haven't truly begun. You must save yourselves while you still can. While your souls still have some light."

"I want to go home." Mimi confessed. "But I know that the others will want to stay. I can't imagine any of them willing to abandon this world in peril… they're not selfish…" The girl murmured, feeling guilty for her own desire to return to her world. "I've decided that I'll only leave this place if they are with me. It's not like I don't want to help the digimon. It's not like I don't want to protect my family… I just…"

She missed her family and her friends. She missed her life, with its comfort and fun. She missed not fearing for her safety and the well being of herself and a group. Whenever she saw the hopelessness in their faces, Mimi felt her heart being crushed. She wanted everybody, including herself, to be able to smile genuinely and not to be afraid anymore. That wish became stronger after she witnessed her usually quiet and well-behaved classmate in that much pain.

"I've been there before." Tamaki murmured. "My group had this exact same dilemma once… and we decided to stay and fight. I wish I could go back in time and change that. I wish I could've convinced my friends to go home and leave everything behind us."

"Isn't there a way to help the digimon and our world without having to hurt anyone?" Mimi asked. "Is violence really the only way?"

"Violence and hatred only create more violence and hatred." Tamaki affirmed. "If we had understood that before, many deaths could have been avoided. The moment you start to believe that you are absolutely right and that those who disagree with you are _evil_ and must be punished is the moment when your soul dies. That's when you lose yourself in the spiral of despair… and you can never escape it."

Mimi refused to accept that reality.

"I can't let that happen to us. I can't let our lives be destroyed like that." She roared.

"In that case, you should stay here."

"I don't want to hide while others fight for my sake!"

"This is not your fight." Tamaki assured the girl. "You're not responsible for whatever happens to this world or the human world."

Mimi trembled. It would be so easy to believe in that. Not long ago, she would have accepted that reasoning gladly. But she knew that she could not revert to those days. To close her eyes and pretend that there was nothing wrong was impossible. The group was going to stay in the Digital World and she would stay with them. Running away was not an option, neither was it to give up on hope.

"I'll find another path." Mimi promised. "I'll find a way where everybody can be safe and happy again and we'll never be trapped in that spiral of despair… so we can go home with no regrets."

"You're a dreamer, Mimi-chan." Tamaki's voice became soft and a little smile appeared on his lips. "I used to be like you."

"You can be like that again, Tamaki-san!" She exclaimed, hopeful. The man stood up and messed with her hair, fondly. _I wish I could_ , he thought.

"I'm with your bags and original clothes. They'll be ready for tomorrow if you decide to go." He spoke with resignation.

"You don't want us to go, isn't that right?" Mimi inquired. "Are you not going to try to stop us?"

Tamaki frowned before replying:

"I want to protect you lot. But I can't bring myself to do something as horrible as taking away your agency. There's nothing worse you can do to another human being."

"You're really kind, Tamaki-san." Mimi expressed her appreciation for the other, unaware that those words broke his heart. The adult buried his melancholy and tried to show her a happy face.

"Thank you, Mimi-chan."

Meanwhile, Tentomon was hidden among sheets inside a closet in a storage room.

"Tentomon, where are you?" Palmon asked, outside the closet. "I know that you're here."

The bug digimon waited for her to go away. However, it did not take long for the plant digimon to open the closet and expose him. Tentomon flew to her side, defeated.

"I don't want to talk-" He had a pleading tone.

"This isn't about you." Palmon cut him off. "Koushiro needs your help."

"He's going to be okay." Tentomon muttered, trembling.

"Mimi held him by the hand and he started to scream." Palmon informed him, which made Tentomon face her. "He fell to the ground and said that he didn't want to die. He was so scared, Tentomon."

The bug digimon looked away, lifting his arms and putting them on his head, nervously. A couple of tears formed in his eyes.

"You can help Koushiro, Tentomon." Palmon tried to calm him down. "Be there for him. Talk to him. Your partner is not well."

"This is beyond my power! I can't do anything!"

"Are you giving up on him?" Palmon had a reproving voice. "Don't you care about-"

"Of course I care about him!" Tentomon shouted. "You just don't understand! None of you understands!"

"I can only understand if you explain!"

That reply took Tentomon aback. That was what he had told his friend in the factory to pressure him to tell the truth. It had all begun like that, and then Tentomon was convincing Koushiro to let Homeostasis enter his mind and almost got him killed. Even when he evolved, he could not stop Andromon. After that, Koushiro fell from the mountain and almost died. Then, he had left the boy alone and Koushiro had jumped into a well. It did not matter what actions or omissions the digimon took, he was not capable of helping his friend. And it was becoming clear what Koushiro's end would be, due to the digimon's incompetence. Tentomon could not handle that reality; the only way to maintain his sanity was to lie to himself. _Koushiro-han is going to be okay... he has to._

"Koushiro is feeling better now, I guess. He went to apologize to Takeru." Palmon added, regretting her earlier rudeness.

"Really?" Tentomon sounded a bit relieved.

"When did you become so complicated?" Palmon sighed, pulling the ladybug by the arm. "Come on."

"I don't want to go." Tentomon protested. His voice, however, lacked conviction.

"Yes, you do." Palmon contested. "After all, you want to see for yourself that he's better, right?"

Tentomon did not reply, allowing himself to be dragged by the other. Palmon took him to the kitchen, where everybody (minus Tamaki) was reunited. Tentomon glanced at Koushiro sitting next to Takeru. His partner looked away. The pair joined the other digimon, who were having a private discussion at the back of the kitchen, next to the counter. Piyomon looked at Tentomon with annoyance and it was up to Gomamon to fill in him and Palmon about what had been discussed. The children had debated the choices they had and now was the time of their decision. Palmon asked why the digimon were not deciding along with them. Piyomon told her that their role was to support their partners no matter what they chose and that they should do what they believed was best for themselves.

"I want to look for the crests and to help to protect the Digital World." Takeru said. "You saw what Devimon did. Angemon sacrificed himself to put an end to his cruelty; I can't dishonor my friend's memory by running away."

The other children exchanged a few glances.

"I believe that's what we should do." Koushiro agreed, receiving a thankful look from Takeru. "We have unfinished business here. And there are things that I want to understand before going home..."

Tentomon gazed at his partner. The other digimon wondered if there was a hidden meaning behind the boy's words that only Tentomon understood.

"We don't have many chances of going home if we stay in this base." Sora murmured. "We would just hide ourselves and run from our responsibilities. That wouldn't help anyone."

"You've already decided." Mimi said, with a resigned smile. "I imagined it would be like this."

"Mimi-chan…" Sora felt guilty.

"It's okay; I want to stay with you." The younger girl tried to sound supportive. "I know that we can all go home later and that this doesn't have to be the end for us."

"I also think we should leave this base." Jyou declared. "I'm done with having to make hard decisions. I don't want to, ever again, try to convince myself that sacrifices are inevitable. I want to save everybody... you guys, the digimon, our world…"

Koushiro and Takeru looked at the boy across from them and between Sora and Mimi with surprise. Soon, the blond child gave Jyou an approving smile. Koushiro gazed at the older boy with admiration. Jyou noticed that and wanted to properly talk to Koushiro about the events of the factory. However, the sixth grader knew that he should wait until the two of them were alone.

The children decided that they would leave by the morning. After eating, they headed to the bedroom where Takeru had left Patamon's digitama. There, the youngest child glanced at the egg with sadness. Mimi noticed that and decided that she had to do something to ease the child's misery.

"You haven't taken a bath yet, right?" She asked Takeru.

"No." The boy replied.

"You should hurry and take one; we don't know when we'll be able to do that again. Besides, the bathtubs here are fantastic, you'll hate yourself if you pass on the opportunity of swimming in one." She said, cheerfully.

"Mimi-kun, you shouldn't swim in the bathtub." Jyou advised.

"Don't listen to him! Swimming in the bathtub is awesome!" Gomamon defied his partner, which provoked some giggles from the others. Takeru was surprised by the laugh that escaped his mouth. That was a good feeling.

"Don't forget to take Patamon with you." The girl added. "It will be his only chance as well."

Takeru stared at her for a couple of seconds, and then he nodded. Gently, the boy uncovered the digitama and picked it up, afraid of harming it in any way. He could still hear Angemon's voice in his mind. And so could he remember his discussions with his friend.

 _I was not the partner you deserved_ , Takeru reflected, feeling something heavy pulling him down. _I don't know if you'll remember me or not. Maybe it would be better if you didn't._ _That way, you wouldn't have to know how self centered I was… how I didn't understand your feelings… how I just watched you die, unable to do anything. But I promise you that I'll be better from now on. I'll become strong and I'll make you stronger too. Nobody will be able to hurt you ever again, Patamon._

A crack appeared on the egg's shell, startling everybody. Soon, a small white baby digimon broke free from it. The creature smiled largely at Takeru, jumping on his hands.

"It's Poyomon." Piyomon told the boy.

"Hello, Poyomon." Takeru greeted, beginning to cry. "I knew that you were going to meet me… we're going to be great friends!"

The tears streamed down his face. His friend had returned and the human swore that he would never lose him again. He would do everything to protect his partner from all the harm and sadness. He would make sure to bring him joy and peace. Ten minutes later, the boy took the digimon to take a bath with him, where they played in the water and with the bubbles. Even if Poyomon had forgotten about him, Takeru promised himself that he would give the digimon plenty of happy memories that would stay with him forever.

The blond child, after the bath, put on the clothes that had replaced his own on the bathroom's bench (an orange shirt and brown shorts). His backpack was gone from the bench as well. Then, he went back to the bedroom with Poyomon and they slept among the others. The small child could swear that, at some point during the night, he had heard someone humming. In the morning, each child found their clothes and their bags and backpacks (which had been gone along with their clothes during their baths) on the fluffy floor of the bedroom. Each of them went to a bathroom to put them on, returning soon. After that, they had breakfast with Tamaki. Once again, the man tried to dissuade them from leaving, with no success. Finished the meal, they headed to the sliding door.

"Homura-chan lives in Aurora Town." Tamaki told them. "I'm sure that she'll find you. She's not bad but can be a little scary sometimes. Also, I've put food and other things in your bags; they should last for a while."

"That's why it's so heavy." Jyou commented, glancing at his bag.

"Thank you for everything, Tamaki-san." Mimi showed her gratitude.

"Honestly, thank you." Sora added. "If there's anything we can do to pay back-"

"There is." Tamaki interrupted. He looked at their faces with sorrow. Yet, he dared to have hope. "Survive everything this World throws at you. Don't turn against one other because one other is all you have. Be patient with one another and yourselves and never stop being kind. Please, don't become cynical or bitter. Don't nurture hatred in your hearts… don't forget who you are and what makes you happy."

Silently, the children took those words to their hearts. Mimi, especially, vowed to honor them.

Takeru opened the door and the five children and digimon entered a sunlit square, feeling the west wind caressing their faces.

Tamaki closed the door and retreated to the control room. He dematerialized the base and selected his play list in the computer. The adult cried alone, listening to his favorite song.

 _Imagine there's no heaven_ _  
_It's easy if you try__ _  
_No hell below us__ _  
_Above us only sky__

 **Thank you all for the reviews. Imagine is a song by John Lennon. The next update will probably be only in May, when the action restarts.**


	13. Behind the curtain

He was playing his electric guitar, sitting on the roof of a house in a deserted alley. The walls of the residences of the Downtown were filled with colorful graffiti art. Its population was poor compared to those who lived in the Uppertown but it did not matter. The Downtown folk had enough pride and resilience to shake the world.

Aurora Town was the oldest city in the Digital World. Despite that, most of its structure was made of modern buildings. At least what creatures who could live for hundreds of years considered "modern". The city had been heavily rebuilt after the World War that pitted the Sanctuary and the Academy against each other. Aurora Town had been one of the last places in which the majority of the population had stayed loyal to the Queen. Because of that, the punishment for the defeated was remarkably cruel.

The scars of that period were still present. Those who had supported the Academy were rewarded with the best jobs, houses and living conditions in general. For the following centuries, representatives of the Academy won every election and assured that the status quo in Aurora Town would remain the same. The media propagated the world view that the citizens of the Uppertown approved: that the world was like that and it could not be changed; therefore, the digimon unsatisfied with their conditions had to accept them. In fact, they were encouraged to believe that they should be glad for the lives they had. At least the Bloody Lord was no longer in command.

The period of time during which the Queen had ruled over the Digital World was severely criticized by those in charge through the news outlets. It was said that the Queen was a tyrant who had led the Digital World to its ruin. But that method was not as efficient as its perpetrators wished. For the population who had been freed from Seraphimon and had just learned that they had equal rights and citizenship as the privileged class, it did not matter how vile the anti-Queen propaganda was. They would resist, endure, fight back no matter how many times they were told that their impertinence was pointless.

History proved them right when, for the first time since the Queen's banishment, despite the herculean effort of the Academy and the folk of the Uppertown, a digimon from the Downtown was elected Mayor.

As a way to give a message of hope to his voters and offer a proposition of conciliation to those who opposed the new government, the Mayor decided to bring back an old tradition that had almost been forgotten. The perfect level digimon on the roof was ready to take part in it, just like in the old days.

"Don't you ever get tired of playing rock?"

A female voice came from above. A few seconds later, Ladydevimon landed by his side. She did not sit, being satisfied in admiring him from where she was standing.

"It's been a while, Sis." The other had an amicable tone; he did not stop playing. "What can I say? Rock is in my blood."

She smiled sadly. He noticed it.

"I've heard rumors about Devimon. Are they true?" The artist asked in low voice.

"He was killed by the partner of a chosen child… an Angemon, no less." She replied.

He stopped playing the instrument and looked at his sister, adjusting the sunglasses he was wearing.

"You don't think it's the Bloody Lord, do you?" He inquired in a whisper. The mere act of alluding to Seraphimon made him shake.

"The Tyrant and the chosen children together… now that's a scary thought." The female digimon smirked nervously as she diverted her sight from her brother to the roof of the house across from them.

A flap of wings was suddenly heard. A bat left its shadowy hide spot: a tiny hole in the said house's roof.

"Those flying rats are all over Aurora Town." He commented, darkly. "Since they appeared, there has been an increase in the confrontations between the Downtown and the Uppertown folks… not that they didn't have enough reasons for that before."

"Creating instability from the shadows is _his_ trademark. At least ten cities have fallen into _his_ control that way." Ladydevimon made a bitter comment.

"Tonosamageckomon is working really hard to pacify the city. He's not our enemy. Why would Vam-chan try to take this town?" The other had trouble to understand that.

"If Vamdemon hears you calling him that, he'll get mad." She giggled for a second; then, Ladydevimon frowned and adopted a melancholic tone. "You ask me why he's aiming for this city… I believe he's been moved solely by his ambitions. He hasn't cut ties with us officially but that guy obviously has his own agenda."

"Vam-chan must be crazy if he thinks he can mess with my town." The other had a menacing tone.

"Your town, Etemon?" Ladydevimon sounded amused. "Do you rule it from the dirty alleys?"

"I don't intend to rule anything. I'm an artist, not a politician." Etemon replied, resuming playing the guitar. "But I've been in this town for hundreds of years. I've seen the oppressed endure, fight and conquer. It took so long for the wind to begin to change. That guy has no right to come here and destroy that, even if he's family!"

"You've always been such a sweet kid." Ladydevimon spoke with sadness. "I think I'd better do something about that idiotic brother of ours before he commits an irreparable mistake."

"I was hoping you'd stay for the music festival." Etemon was disappointed.

"Music festival? I thought they had been forbidden after Mother's banishment." She was surprised.

"The new Mayor decided to bring it back as a way to bring the citizens together." Etemon explained. "I'm still deciding on which song I'll choose. It must be special! Something that will touch everybody's hearts!"

His sister's silence made him uneasy. Ladydevimon's lips trembled.

"You remind me of her… back in the old days." She muttered.

"Of course I do. I'm a Mama's boy, after all." Etemon said with a proud grin.

"You sure are." She smiled subtly. "I hope you don't change."

Etemon watched his sister take flight and disappear into the sky.

Few minutes after that, one of the Gazimon who assisted him entered the alley in a hurry and climbed to the roof where Etemon was sitting.

"ETEMON-SAMA!" He shouted in despair. "QUICKLY! IN THE SQUARE!"

"Calm down, you dramatic fool!" Etemon scolded the other. "You better have a good reason to interrupt my inspiration process."

"They have arrived, Sir!" Gazimon said, trembling in fear. "The chosen children are here!"

 **Chapter 13: Behind the curtain**

One of the teleportation devices beeped, announcing someone's arrival. The beast man materialized there and quickly left the metallic circle, a step above floor level. He was at the lobby of the main Base of the Academy.

The ceiling of the lobby was high and formed a dome decorated with a painting of a starry sky and planets. Columns were visible on the walls, regularly spaced apart. At the other side of the lobby there were five mahogany doors that each led to different corridors.

Nobody knew for sure how big the place was. It was hidden in a pocket dimension and only those who were allowed could go there. The beast man had used a miniaturized computer he had received in the format of a cube to send a signal requesting the teleportation, which was granted after the Control Room located him and made sure of his identity.

It was said that, in that base, there were several kilometers of libraries, laboratories, databanks and unimaginable secrets. There was strict access to every part of the place. Only one person was allowed to go anywhere he wanted. It was he who commanded the Academy and believed to know everything that happened in there.

Leomon was after that person: the Headmaster.

He walked intrepidly towards the large marble counter in the middle of the lobby, where Bastemon typed in her computer. The perfect level digimon who resembled a cat woman with a pair of tails, long braided orange hair and a veil covering the lower part of her face was known for having worked undercover in the Queen's Sanctuary long ago; the night the Sanctuary fell, she was found wandering on File Island with no personal memories under a heavy snowstorm. When Bastemon was brought back to the Base, a couple of days later, it was attested that the cat woman still had her technical knowledge and, therefore, could still work. She was regarded as a heroine, despite nobody but the Headmaster having knowledge of the nature of her mission.

"Good morning, fellow feline!" She greeted with a large smile when Leomon approached the counter.

"I must speak to Gennai." The lion man did not bother to be polite.

"He's in a meeting right now. It seemed a very important-"

"What I have to discuss with Gennai is more important!" Leomon stated.

Bastemon raised an eyebrow in annoyance. She picked up an earplug and tried to contact Gennai.

"Hello, Headmaster. Leomon has returned from File Island and he insists on speaking to you immediately." The cat woman informed. "Yes, I told him that you were busy. What? Do you want me to give him the communicator? Alright."

Bastemon took the earplug off and gave it to Leomon, who put in on his left ear right away.

"Gennai, what have you made me do?!" The lion man nearly shouted.

"My dear Leomon, how did your mission-" The man was saying in an amicable tone.

"You lied to me!" Leomon accused. "You told me those digimon were accomplices of Devimon! You made me kill innocents!"

The adult level digimon thought he had heard the sound of a heavy door being opened and footsteps at the other side of the line. Was Gennai going somewhere?

"Talk to me!" Leomon demanded. "Those digimon… they were just sick, weren't they? That's what the chosen children I met said!"

"Calm down." The voice at the other side asked, sweetly. "I promise you won't be so outraged in a minute."

"How dare you say that?!" Leomon could not stop his fury.

But his anger suddenly began to diminish. The adult level digimon felt dizzy and had to lean on the counter, using both his hands to support his weight.

"What happened in File Island?" The Headmaster questioned.

"I…" Leomon tried to recollect his memories but it was difficult. "The traitors… they were eliminated as you ordered…"

"It has come to my knowledge that the chosen children have defeated Devimon. Have you seen any chosen child?" The Headmaster inquired.

"Chosen child?" Leomon asked, confused. "No… I didn't have the honor…"

"It's alright." The man at the other side of the line had a comforting tone. "Please, return Bastemon's earplug and go to the infirmary to rest. You did a good job."

"Yes. Thank you, Sir."

Leomon took the earplug off and gave it back to Bastemon, who blinked in confusion.

"Don't pick someone else's things without permission!" She scolded him. "When did you get here, anyway?"

"You gave this to me, don't you remember?" Leomon asked.

"Oh!" She seemed embarrassed. "Sorry. My memory hasn't been great ever since…"

"It's okay, there's no need to apologize. I'll head to the infirmary now." Leomon said, leaving.

Meanwhile, the Headmaster was in his office with the only subordinate who knew his secret. He used his anti-gravitational gloves (which were black and thick and had several thin red wires connected to them) to move a heavy bookshelf back to the front of a secret metallic door.

"Aren't you strong enough to move that shelf by yourself?" The subordinate questioned.

"My sweet innocent Wizarmon, don't you know why humans create toys?" The man asked, amused, turning around to face the other while taking off the gloves and exposing the tattoo at the back of his right hand: a red drawing that resembled the popular representation of a heart, but with one half filled and with two concentric circles in it, and the other half partly empty. As red as the tattoo were his small eyes.

He had not covered the upper part of his face with the hood in front of Wizarmon because there was no point to it. The mage digimon knew his identity. To be in his presence was a rare opportunity for Kanda. It felt good to have his short and spiky light brown hair exposed.

Wizarmon always felt discomfort when he looked at the other's eyes but did not understand the reason. The man had a tranquil atmosphere around him and his half closed red eyes were gentle and caring. However, Wizarmon could not shake the idea that there was something hidden behind them.

"It must be frustrating for you not to be able to read my mind." Kanda commented as he put on normal brown gloves and took a seat behind his desk. Wizarmon was sitting across from him.

"Not as frustrating as it must be for you that you can't use the things in that room on me." Wizarmon replied, defiant.

Kanda smirked.

"You really despise me, don't you?" He asked, softly. "It's good that you're loyal, though."

"I'm not loyal to you and you know that." Wizarmon responded.

"Oh, I know. But I'm thankful anyway. I'll cherish the information you've brought me." Kanda said, looking at the table and caressing the beige envelope Wizarmon had given him. Then, he lifted his eyes and gave the digimon the warmest smile he could muster. "Now, go see your friend. I know how much you miss her."

Wizarmon stood up, heading to the door that led to the corridor. Before opening and crossing it, he said one more thing to Kanda:

"Do you realize that you're not better than Nanomon when you use those things?"

"I'm not trying to be better than Nanomon." The man's voice became serious and deep, which sent chills down Wizarmon's spine.

The mage left the office, closing the door behind him. Kanda picked the envelope and opened it. He had already seen the maps and overall information that it contained. But there was a certain thing he needed to see again.

Among the photos of the location, Wizarmon managed to take one of a figure covered by a long and dirty brown cape. The fabric hid the head of the individual as well but there was one specific detail that captured Kanda's full attention. Over the cape, hanging on the figure's neck, there was a pair of red goggles.

He smiled largely and felt his eyes getting humid. But then a statics noise came from a small TV screen on the table, which he used to watch what was happening in the base. The image flickered and a face he knew too well appeared.

"Hello, Kanda. You seem to be doing well." The robotic voice complimented.

The man felt a whirlpool of rage shake his interior. Despite that, he made sure to sustain a cordial smile.

"Nanomon." He murmured. "After all these centuries, you've decided to surrender?"

"Don't be naive, boy. I'm letting you track my location because I need your help."

Nanomon's words made Kanda inhale rapidly as his pupils dilated and a slight tremor passed through his body. Slowly, the man put down the photo he was still holding, in fear of accidentally tearing it.

"You got some nerve." Kanda laughed. His smile now was not even attempting to show joy.

"I believe you'll be interested in what I have to say. Better yet, I'll show you!" Nanomon's voice was defiant as the small robot lifted his long metallic arms to show a dark sphere he had been holding. In its center, a red light was visible. It took a couple of seconds for the man to fully visualize the object hidden in it.

"My crest!" He exclaimed. "You're the thief!"

"I was one of the digimon who designed that base. Did you really think I wouldn't know how to enter it without letting anyone notice my presence?" Nanomon questioned in a taunting way.

"And you went through all this trouble just to make me chase after you in your hideout to have my crest back?" Kanda asked.

"It's not your crest anymore." Nanomon corrected the other. "Only the true bearer of love can take this crest out of this orb, and sweet little Kanda no longer has any love in him."

Kanda would not let himself be provoked.

"Do you expect me to send the new bearer of love to a trap just to retrieve that thing?" He inquired.

"I know you'll do that." Nanomon affirmed. "You can't stand to lose and you're arrogant enough to believe that you can have that crest back without making any sacrifice."

The man leaned closer to the TV screen. He blinked and exhibited a large grin.

"Look at you." Kanda talked in a calm voice. "A piece of junk who believes he's still great scientist from a distant past. You look down on me in spite of being forced to hide in the shadows-by me. You speak with pride and entitlement despite the fact that I took everything you once had and loved. I am the Headmaster of your precious Academy. I control most of your amnesiac friends and they have no idea that they're my pawns, and if they suspect anything, I can simply mold their minds to my liking as many times as necessary. I have full access to the greatest knowledge sources and command the strongest military force in this world. Don't you confuse me with that human who begged you to let him and his friends go! Who begged you to fulfill your promises! I have enough love in me to set the world ablaze! I have enough power and resources to find and crush every last disgusting worm that has wronged us and I swear on my life that I will do it! I'll let you know that there's nothing sweet in me and that I'm definitely not little!"

Nanomon did not respond. Kanda covered the upper part of his face with the hood and said in a polite tone:

"This was a truly pleasant conversation. I hope we'll meet again in person soon, my dear Nanomon. Have a nice day."

The man turned off the screen. Right after, he took a deep breath and exhaled. It was time to track that call and to think of a brilliant plan.

Meanwhile, the chosen children and their partners were walking around in a square. The grass was high and ivy partially covered the four benches that surrounded a five meters tall statue of a man wearing heavy armor that had five pairs of wings on his back. Its imposing posture contrasted with the things written with paint in every inch of the statue: MURDERER, TYRANT, MASS KILLER, TORTURER, BLOODY LORD.

"Is that Seraphimon?" Takeru muttered, stunned, taking a close look at the piece. He could feel Poyomon trembling in his arms.

"It looks like the statue of the Queen we found under Infinity Mountain." Koushiro told Sora, as they got closer to the monument.

"You were under the mountain?" Mimi asked, surprised, approaching the two kids.

"Well…" Sora seemed to be a little uncomfortable. "That refrigerator we had found on the plateau broke the floor under the snow at the base of the mountain and we fell in the hole. There was a statue similar to this one there, along with a giant golden tree with apples and a lake filled with healing liquid."

"A lake of healing liquid?!" Jyou shouted, taking five large steps to be face to face with Sora. The older boy had an incredulous expression. "Mimi-kun, Gomamon, Palmon and I ran into a Leomon who had a bottle of that thing! He said it was a rare resource; and yet you found a whole lake of it?!"

"Healing liquid?" Takeru turned around to face the others, interested in the conversation topic. "Did you bring any of it along, Sora-san?"

"We didn't have anything that we could use to carry it." Koushiro told Takeru. In reality, he, Sora, Tentomon and Piyomon had forgotten about the healing liquid because of the other things that happened in that underground temple. The boy with red hair exchanged a brief glance with the older girl.

"What about Sora-kun's hat?" Jyou asked; pointing to the blue hat the fifth grader was wearing. "It seems to be made of hard material! You could've used it to carry the liquid!"

Unconsciously, Sora grabbed the blue hat on her head in a protective way.

"Jyou-san, it would be very inconvenient to carry water in a hat, don't you think?" Mimi giggled.

"That's not an excuse!" Jyou felt offended. "I just don't understand how someone could walk away from a lake of magic medicine without bringing some of it along! Had it been me, I'd carry the liquid in my bare hands if necessary!"

"You would've dropped it really soon, though." Sora remarked.

"Why is it that none of you understand?" Jyou sighed in frustration. "If any of us got hurt, we'd have an assurance of survival with that medicine, you know?"

"You're jumping to the conclusion that the wound would be fatal." Palmon commented.

"You need to relax sometimes, Jyou." Gomamon smirked. "Nothing bad is going to happen to any of you under our watch."

Jyou groaned, crossing his arms.

"Huh, excuse me." A voice came from below, close to Jyou's feet. The children and the digimon looked down in that direction and found a green digimon that had a slug like body who was looking at Mimi, a couple of steps away.

"Numemon!" Palmon exclaimed with a disgusted face.

"What kind of digimon is that?" Koushiro wondered.

"That is an unhygienic digimon that doesn't like water." Gomamon explained.

The Numemon ignored them and went closer to Mimi, who was visibly uncomfortable with the approach.

"Excuse me, Miss." Numemon said, shyly. "You're very good-looking."

"… Thank you…?" Mimi said, raising an eyebrow.

"I was thinking…" The tiny digimon seemed to be nervous. "Maybe you and I could go on a date. What do you think?"

"I don't want to do that." Mimi stated bluntly. Numemon's eyes became filled with tears.

"Mimi-chan, you could've phrased that better." Sora told her. "There's no need to be rude."

"What difference would it make to beat around the bush?" Mimi sounded annoyed. "It's better to get it over with quickly, like pulling a band-aid."

"Please, give me a chance!" Numemon protested. "You're the most beautiful digimon I've ever seen in my 147 years of life!"

"147 years?!" Jyou took a step back, in shock. "You're that old and you're hitting on a 10 year-old girl?! Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

"What a creep!" Takeru had a disgusted tone.

"Ten years old?!" Numemon gasped, suddenly seeming deeply ashamed. "Oh no! I-I'm sorry! How was I supposed to know that you're a child?"

"Really? You're going to pull the 'you're as beautiful as a grown up' move? I'm so sick of this." Mimi spoke with disgust.

That commentary made Sora uneasy. _The way she said that… it's as if Mimi-chan is used to this kind of thing. Is this not the first time an older guy tries to woo her? How can someone do that to a little girl like her? This is so wrong!_

"Hey, hey, don't try to make it look like I'm the one in the wrong here!" Numemon was defensive. "You should be thankful that someone acknowledges how attractive you are!"

"I don't have to be thankful to anyone!" Mimi nearly yelled, angrily. "I know damn well how beautiful I am, I don't need to be told that! Stop acting as if you're doing me a favor!"

"Your bad temper is not lady-like in the slightest, do you know that?" Numemon criticized Mimi. "If you don't start behaving like a proper female digimon, I fear for your future!"

That statement got on Sora's nerves as well, but not to the same degree that it did to Mimi. The younger girl clenched her fists as fury boiled from her insides.

"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK!" Mimi stated in loud voice. "AND I'M NOT A DIGIMON! I'M A HUMAN GIRL!"

A horrified expression took over Numemon's face as the creature slowly trailed backwards. Some digimon who were passing by heard what the girl had shouted and began to murmur among themselves, alarmed. Soon, a mob had gathered around the children and their partners.

"Human beings? They're human beings?" A scared voice was discernible in the crowd.

"Are they chosen children?! The chosen children have returned?!" Another voice screamed in terror.

"They're going to kill us! It'll be just like that time!" Another one added.

"I-I don't want to die!" Someone cried. "We have to do something! We need to defend ourselves!"

"What's going on here?" Sora muttered, perplexed, looking at the increasing number of monsters of different shapes and sizes surrounding them.

"Are they afraid of us?" Takeru asked.

"But why?" Koushiro wanted to understand.

"Excuse me!" Jyou addressed the gathering digimon in loud voice. "Please, forgive Mimi-kun. She's a little rude sometimes but she's not a bad person. There's no reason to be scared of her."

"THIS ISN'T MY FAULT!" Mimi shouted, defensively. "WHAT SIDE ARE YOU ON, JYOU-SAN?!"

"I'm on your side, Mimi-kun!" Jyou whispered to her. "But your shouting scared these other guys. There must be adult and maybe even digimon of higher levels among them; we'd better make amends."

"Why do I have to make amends? I didn't do anything wrong!" Mimi felt hurt. _Jyou-san… he doesn't understand… he's just a boy!_

"I don't believe they're scared because of the shouting." Koushiro said. "The digimon seem to be afraid of human beings."

"It was a terrible idea to announce that we're human to a crowd of unknown digimon." Takeru remarked, bitterly. "If they're evil, they're going to attack us all at once!"

"Are you blaming me for this?!" The younger girl got mad at Takeru. "How was I supposed to know that they'd be afraid of humans?!"

"Mimi-san, from now on we should assume that every digimon is potential enemy! We can't take risks anymore!" The younger child stated. _There are more digimon like Devimon in the world. We could be attacked at any second. We have to be more vigilant than ever, otherwise…_ the image of Angemon dying flashed before Takeru's eyes, _I can't let something like that happen ever again!_

"They're getting angry!" One of the digimon in the crowd said in loud voice.

"THEY'RE GOING TO ATTACK US!" Another one screamed. "WE HAVE TO RUN!"

"I'm not running from those human bastards ever again!" Someone stated. "They'll pay for what was done to our Queen!"

Those words lit a flame inside Takeru. _I knew it! They're our enemies after all! They're Devimon's allies!_

"Please, calm down, everyone!" Sora pleaded to the crowd, taking a step ahead with her hands up. Piyomon did the same, standing by her right side. The girl continued: "This is a huge misunderstanding! We don't have any intention of harming anyone, I swear! If you let us-"

Sora suddenly stopped talking. She felt a piercing pain in her left arm and looked down. Someone had shot a 20 centimeters long syringe on her; it was still struck on her arm. The older girl removed the object with her right hand but soon lost sensation on her fingers; she let the syringe fall on the ground and break, spilling gray liquid on the grass. Sora's vision became blurred and she felt dizzy. The girl heard Mimi screaming and Piyomon asking frantically what she was feeling. However, the fifth grader was not able to speak anymore. The world was becoming dark and she felt that she was falling. Someone caught her by her back before she could hit the ground. The girl could discern blue hair and assumed that Jyou had done that.

Piyomon leaned to her partner. Sora's skin was becoming paler and she was shaking. The bird digimon felt herself sinking in despair. _Who did this?_

"Was she poisoned?" Koushiro asked, alarmed, kneeling at Sora's and Jyou's right side.

"We need to get her out of here! Is there any hospital around?!" Jyou had urgency in his voice.

Piyomon turned to the crowd. She glared at the many digimon standing there with fury and advanced against them in large steps, stretching her wings. Her voice came out as menacing and powerful as thunder:

"WHO DID THIS TO SORA?"

Some of the digimon began to run away. Others looked anxiously at one another. An Astamon lifted his shotgun, trembling. He was a survivor of the old times. He remembered what human beings and their partners were capable of.

Palmon's ivy suddenly enveloped Piyomon, stopping her from continuing on that path.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? LET GO OF ME!" The bird digimon protested, trying to free herself. "I'LL KILL THEM! I'LL KILL ALL OF THEM!"

"I know how much you care for Sora but if you let your emotions take control of you now, you won't help her!" The plant digimon told the bird, as she slowly approached Piyomon from behind, holding the other down with her ivy.

"You need to calm down!" Gomamon scolded the bird digimon. He was still close to Jyou, behind Piyomon. "We can't afford to enter a fight here!"

"Are you suggesting that we should run?" Takeru inquired, angrily, walking forward and stopping at the left of Jyou and Sora. He hugged a crying Poyomon tightly against his chest and glared at Gomamon as he inquired:

"Do you want to let the digimon who hurt Sora-san get away?!"

"Do you want to fight every digimon in this square?" Mimi, who was now behind the others, questioned. "Takeru-kun, are you willing to hurt innocents just for the hope of hurting the digimon who harmed Sora-san?"

"What innocents? Didn't you hear what they were saying?!" Takeru spoke with rage, glaring at the fourth grader girl. "If we don't strike first, they will kill us!"

Takeru's behavior disturbed Mimi. What had happened to the sweet kid she had known a few days before? It was as if she was looking at someone completely different. Someone merciless and unreasonable. Mimi wanted to say something back to him but realized that there was no point in continuing with that argument in that moment. That talk would have to wait until Sora was out of danger.

Koushiro glanced at Sora, who had been laid on the grass and whose head was on Jyou's lap. The girl was still awake, but she seemed to be too weak to move or speak. Her mouth was semi open and her eyelids were almost closed.

"How bad is Sora-san's state?" Koushiro asked Jyou, concerned. The older boy touched her forehead and made an anguished expression.

"She's gotten a fever! A high one! We must move her right away! There must be a doctor or a pharmacist… someone who can help her in this city!" Jyou was letting his fear and anxiety out.

"I could evolve and carry you all on my back." Tentomon, who was hovering close to Koushiro, suggested.

"That's a good idea!" Koushiro exclaimed, picking his digivice from his backpack. His partner got ready to evolve.

"Tentomon evolves to…."

But nothing happened.

"What's the matter?" The fourth grader boy asked.

"I-I don't know." Tentomon replied, nervously.

"I doubt Sora can make Piyomon evolve now and Poyomon is too young! You're the only one who can fly, Tentomon!" Palmon had urgency in her voice. She was struggling to keep Piyomon from advancing against the few digimon who had not run away yet.

"This isn't my fault!" Tentomon became defensive, turning to Koushiro. "I'm not receiving any energy from you! Why are you not giving me the power to evolve?"

"What?" Koushiro was shocked to hear that. "W-what do you want me to do exactly?"

"Tentomon had evolved with no problems when we fought Devimon!" Gomamon pointed out. "What changed since then? Why can't Koushiro make him evolve anymore?"

"What changed…" Koushiro thought aloud. Soon, his eyes widened and his face paled when he remembered the conversation he had with Tentomon in the base's bathroom. _Is this my fault? Is it because of what I was trying to tell him?_

"I'm still tired… yeah, that's it. That's why I can't evolve." The insect digimon concluded. His partner did not believe him. _Is Tentomon covering up for me? He knows… he knows that there's something wrong with me, despite trying to deny that. But I must make him evolve! Sora-san needs us!_

Suddenly, a small black digimon was thrown close to the children. The ten remaining digimon from the crowd turned to the direction from where the tiny creature had been launched to see who had done that. They shrieked in terror and fled the fastest they could when they saw who was coming. Astamon, before running away, yelled: "The Demon!"

Someone as tall as a human adult walked in the direction of the chosen children, coming from Mimi's right. The figure was holding a katana with the right hand and had the body covered in blue armor. Iron plates protected the chest and back; there were also large iron plates that hung from the waist and protected the legs. The stranger wore gauntlets made of hard material. The shoulders were protected by large rectangular plates of iron. The face was hidden by a black Oni mask. The helmet made of small pieces of metal riveted together had a cross ornament on its front. Under the armor, it was visible thick leather protecting the rest of the body. The figure dressed as a samurai, after getting close enough to the black digimon lying on the grass, stopped a couple of steps away from Mimi and pointed the sword at the creature that resembled a bat.

"I saw this Picodevimon shoot the syringe at the girl." The stranger said. "There's no need to start trouble with the inhabitants of this town. This is your culprit."

"Devimon?" Takeru reacted to part of that name, glaring at the small monster.

"P-please!" Picodevimon cried, standing up and looking at the samurai in terror. "I-I was scared! I thought that the chosen children had come to take our lives!"

"LIAR!" Takeru accused. "YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FOOL US! YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO SORA-SAN!"

"I've never seen you in this city before, Picodevimon." The samurai said. "Who sent you here? What were your master's orders?"

"I have no master, I swear! I just wanted to come to the music festival!" The little digimon replied.

"I'll count to three. If you don't start saying the truth, I'll cut you in half!" The Demon threatened.

"I already told you-" The small digimon tried to explain.

"One." The samurai began.

"P-please, I didn't mean to-" Picodevimon's panic was increasing.

"Two." The Demon lifted the sword, preparing to attack.

"NO! PLEASE, HAVE MERCY!" The bat digimon cried, desperate.

"THREE!" The stranger yelled, lowering the blade in his direction.

"STOOOOOP!" Mimi screamed. That action broke the concentration of the samurai, who stared at the girl through the eye holes in the Oni mask. Picodevimon took that chance to escape, flying away from the warrior's reach.

Palmon let go of Piyomon and ran to her partner.

"HE'S ESCAPING!" Takeru yelled, pointing at Picodevimon. Unable to do anything, the samurai kicked some dirt and grass in frustration.

The blond boy stared at Mimi, trembling in anger.

"Why did you do that?" He inquired, raising his voice. "YOU LET THE DIGIMON WHO ATTACKED SORA-SAN RUN AWAY UNPUNISHED!"

"That digimon was begging for mercy!" Mimi tried to explain. "Didn't you hear what he said? Picodevimon did that because he was scared!"

"Mimi-kun, that's not an excuse!" Jyou reprehended the younger girl. "You can't erase someone's responsibility so easily!"

"Are you saying that I should've let him be killed in cold blood?" Mimi asked.

"The ideal outcome would be to capture him and make him give us the antidote." Koushiro gave his opinion. "His death wouldn't have helped Sora-san."

"But he deserved to die." Takeru muttered, darkly.

"I can still chase after him!" Piyomon stated. "I can drag him back and force him to save Sora!"

"There's no antidote for the poison of Picodevimon." The samurai said.

"But…" Jyou trembled in fear. "W-what can we do to help Sora-kun, then?"

"Is Sora-san going to die?" Takeru asked, terrified, as he pressed Poyomon against his body more fiercely.

"Die?" That idea paralyzed Mimi _. She can't… Sora-san can't…_

"There has to be something we can do! I'm not going to give up on Sora!" Piyomon roared. Despite her brave words, her small body was shaking.

"Guys…" A faint murmur came from Sora, catching everybody's attention. Piyomon approached her partner and held her hands.

"Sora!" The bird digimon said her name in a concerned tone. "Don't worry about anything! I'm going to save you!"

"Please, don't fight anymore." The fifth grader asked. "I'm sorry for worrying you… but please… you don't need to be afraid… I'm starting to feel better already…"

Koushiro diverted his eyes from the older girl. He thought that her behavior was similar to the one he had seen in her memory, when Sora was willing to play injured for the sake of her team.

Suddenly, a large and thick book with black cover slowly descended from the sky. It stopped one meter from the ground, floating in front of the children.

"Tsc!" The samurai interjected in annoyance. "That damn conman!"

"Conman?" Gomamon asked.

The book opened itself and someone emerged from the pages. The individual was wearing a magenta robe and had the head and the shoulders covered by a white veil. His yellow eyes were the only visible things in his face. He jumped from the book to the ground, landing right in front of Sora.

"Interesting." He said, looking at the girl. His voice was so high-pitched that sounded forced. "A mere human being shouldn't be alive after receiving Picodevimon's attack. Did she drink the liquid from Asclepius fountain recently?"

"Are you talking about an underground lake with healing water?" Koushiro asked. "Yes, we both did. Maybe our partners too."

"How long ago?" The newcomer made another question as he kneeled to take a closer look at Sora.

"Two days ago." Koushiro replied.

"Good, that means that she's still in the window. There's still enough liquid in her to restore her health. Your friend only needs to rest." The other said.

The children and the digimon were visibly happy to hear that. Sora too smiled in relief.

"What brings you here, Wisemon?" The samurai inquired.

"My dear child, good merchants always know where to find what they're looking for." The other replied.

"Were you looking for us?" Jyou asked, surprised.

"I was looking for you specifically, boy." The merchant explained. "I have to go to Raven's Canyon for a research. Unfortunately, I'm not suited for battle, so I thought: the new bearer of the crest of honesty could be my bodyguard in exchange of me helping him to find his crest. What do you think, Kido Jyou?"

The samurai got closer to Wisemon in a jump and pressed the katana against the other's throat.

"How do you know which of the children is the new bearer of the crest of honesty?" The warrior's tone was menacing. "The Headmaster of the Academy is the only one who should know that."

"Scary! Scary!" Wisemon sounded alarmed. "The Demon of Aurora Town is as terrifying as it's said. Unfortunately, I can't reveal my sources. You see… business policy."

The samurai did not take the sword away from the other's neck.

"Come on, kid. You've known me for a while. I've even helped you and your friends a couple of times. Do you really think that I would endanger poor innocent children?"

Wisemon's words made the warrior lower the blade.

Sora sat up with difficulty, still having her hands held by Piyomon. Mimi got closer to her to see if she was alright.

"I did say I was feeling better." The older girl calmed the others down, smiling. "I'm going to be fine, don't worry."

"It's good to hear that." Jyou said, relieved.

"Sora-san…" Mimi had an anguished tone. Sora let go of Piyomon to hold the fourth grader's hands.

"It's okay, Mimi-chan. No need to worry." The fifth grader tried to cheer the other up.

"Jyou, what are you going to do?" Gomamon questioned his partner. "Do you want to go with Wisemon to look for your crest?"

"If Sora-kun doesn't need me, I think we should go." Jyou answered.

"I'd like to bring another kid along too." Wisemon said, standing up and looking at Koushiro.

"Me?" The red-haired boy asked, surprised.

The tall digimon walked to the boy and leaned in his direction. Tentomon reacted to that and put himself between his partner and the stranger.

"Over-protective, aren't you?" The merchant laughed. "There's nothing to fear. I just think that someone knowledgeable like Koushiro would be useful in my research. He's not the bearer of the crest of purity, so there's nothing stopping him from coming, right? Obviously, you can tag along."

"Are you concerned for me, Tentomon?" Koushiro asked, timidly. A part of him had become happy with that.

"If I'm going with you, there's nothing to worry about." The insect digimon said, vaguely.

"Wait, what about us?" Mimi asked, worried.

"You'll find your crest of purity in this city, Tachikawa Mimi. I wish you all the luck in that task." Wisemon said in a confident tone. "Besides, I'm sure that Homura can protect you, isn't that right?" He asked, turning to the samurai.

That line surprised the children and their digimon.

"Wait! That's the lady Tamaki-san was talking about?!" Takeru was incredulous.

"There's a woman under that armor?!" Mimi could not believe what she had heard.

"What are you acting all worked up about?" The samurai inquired, removing the Oni mask. Her face had delicate features and the younger girl was astonished at the other's beauty.

Homura removed the gauntlet from her right hand and showed the children a gray tattoo of a cross with four triangles around it, saying: "I'm the former bearer of the crest of honesty. My name is Urobuchi Homura, pleased to meet you."

 _She talks so formally_ , Sora thought.

 _She's the previous owner of my crest?_ Jyou felt intimidated. _Homura-san seems to be so strong. Am I fit to be her successor?_

Mimi, on the other hand, was more focused on her own situation. _I have the same crest as Tamaki-san… the crest of purity…_

"Where is going to be our meeting place, after we find the crests?" Koushiro asked.

"This square is a good one. Whoever finds the crest first could wait for the others here." Takeru suggested.

"After I take you kids to my base, I can check the square regularly." Homura said.

"Then it's settled." Jyou announced. "Wisemon, how do we go to the canyon now?"

"First, you need to enter my book." The digimon told him.

"Eh?" Jyou did not sound convinced.

"We just saw him getting out of the book, Jyou." Gomamon said.

"There must be a pocket dimension inside it, like Tamaki-san's base." Koushiro theorized.

"Do we just… stand on the book and get swallowed by it?" The older boy was visibly uncomfortable with the idea. Nevertheless, he agreed to do it. Wisemon put the book on the ground and Jyou and Gomamon were the first ones to be absorbed by it, followed by Koushiro and Tentomon. After Wisemon entered the object, the book closed itself and disappeared.

"Are they really going to be okay?" Sora asked, concerned. The color was returning to her face and she felt well enough to stand up. Piyomon helped her, looking at her friend with preoccupation.

"Wisemon is an egotistic liar who'll do anything to sell his products but he has helped my group many times. I'd say that's worthy some trust." The woman gave her opinion, putting the mask and the gauntlet on again.

"Chosen children!" A voice came from the distance. Twenty meters in front of them, someone wearing a shiny armor and holding a golden sword as big as his body was approaching them in great speed. Palmon and Piyomon tensed but Homura told them that it was only a guard.

"I am Knightmon." The digimon introduced himself. "The news of your arrival have spread around Aurora Town and the Mayor requests your presence."

"The Mayor?" Mimi asked, nervously.

"You don't need to worry." The samurai told the children and their partners. "Tonosamageckomon won't lay a finger on you."

"Do we need to go?" Takeru was resistant to the idea.

"It would be a good opportunity to explain that we have no ill intentions toward the citizens." Sora said.

"Also, we could learn more about what's going on in this place." Palmon added.

They had come to an agreement and followed Knightmon.

A little far from the square, hidden in an alley, Etemon and Gazimon had observed most of the commotion caused by the children.

"It's fortunate that the chosen children didn't attack anyone." Gazimon sighed in relief.

Etemon had a serious expression. That had been the first time in his life that he had seen a human being showing mercy for a digimon that had attacked a friend. _That girl with the wide-brimmed hat… what's up with her?_

Away from there, Picodevimon had hidden himself in a desert garbage dump. A group of bats flew to where he was and formed a circle which transmitted a holographic image of his master.

"Vamdemon-sama!" Picodevimon made a reverence. "The chosen children have come to this city, as you anticipated."

"Did you manage to kill or gravely injure any of them?" The shadowed digimon at the other side demanded to know.

"I managed to poison one of them but I was found out. I barely escaped." Picodevimon informed, sweating.

"For your own good, I hope you don't disappoint me." Vamdemon sounded menacing. "Do you know if Etemon will participate in the music festival?"

"Huh?" Picodevimon did not expect that question. "From what I've heard, he intends to."

"Good." The master had a satisfied tone. "Everything is going according to my plans."

"What plans do you have for Etemon-sama, master?" Picodevimon was confused. "Isn't he your ally?"

"My ally?!" Vamdemon roared. "Have you still not understood that I work with no one and under no one?"

"I apologize for my ignorance, Master!" Picodevimon shrieked in terror.

Vandemon smiled maliciously, adding:

"Learn to be more careful with your words. The destiny of every soul that treats me with disrespect is to crumble under my feet."

 **I believe this chapter marks the true beginning for the second arc. Thank you for the reviews and the patience.**


	14. Rock Opera

One day, the eight-year-old Mimi returned from school crying. Her mother was worried and asked her what had happened. The little girl sat next to the older woman in the living room's couch and explained:

"They made me the witch in the school play."

"Weren't you going to be the princess?" The mother asked. "You were so excited about that."

"I found out that the princess only had two lines and spent most of the play under a sleep curse. I complained about that and the other kids told me I was being ungrateful because the princess is said to be the prettiest person in the world." Mimi grumbled. "I said that I didn't want to play a boring character that barely talks; they got angry and made me the witch who cursed the princess and who is killed by the prince in the end."

The woman stayed in silence for a couple of seconds. After that, she asked:

"Why did the witch curse the princess?"

"Because she's evil!"

"Isn't there another explanation?"

"Isn't being evil enough of an explanation?"

" _Evil_ is too subjective." The mother replied. "Many times it's an adjective used to qualify people you don't agree with. It could be the case with the witch in the play."

"How?" Mimi was intrigued.

"Maybe the princess was oppressing the people and the witch cursed her to end her tyranny." The woman theorized. "But the good witch was defeated, so the victorious monarchs made her go down in History as someone _evil_."

"But that would make the story sad." Mimi spoke, upset. Her mother hugged her and added:

"There are many sad stories in the world but you can't conform to that. It's important to stay true to yourself and to do what you believe to be right, even if everybody else regards you as a witch."

At that time, Mimi did not fully comprehend what her mother was saying.

 **Chapter 14: Rock Opera**

"Sora, are you sure you don't want me to evolve and carry you?" Piyomon asked once again. They had been walking in a slow pace for ten minutes, with Knightmon in their front and Homura behind them.

"Stop worrying. I've told you already that I'm feeling great." Sora said, smiling softly.

"Piyomon has always been keen to worry about others." Palmon explained; she and her partner were walking behind Sora and the bird digimon. "Although I've never seen her as dedicated to anyone as she is to Sora."

"Of course! I love nobody more than Sora!" Piyomon stated, grabbing the older girl's right hand.

"Palmon and the others are not as clingy as Piyomon, though." Mimi commented thoughtlessly.

"I-I'm not clingy! Sora, defend me!" Piyomon said, nervously.

"Don't worry about that, Piyomon. I like you the way you are." Sora attempted to comfort her partner.

"It's nice to hear that." Mimi's voice was full of joy. "You two have come a long way since that fight with Meramon."

"Yeah…" Sora murmured, looking down. "I was really horrible back then…"

"I didn't want to upset you, Sora-san." Mimi explained, embarrassed. "Sorry, I should think more before speaking."

"Don't worry about that, Mimi-chan. I appreciate that you speak your mind." Sora comforted the other.

Takeru frowned after hearing that. He was walking in front of the girls, holding Poyomon in his arms.

"Mimi-san speaking her mind almost got you killed." The boy muttered, coldly.

The younger girl's eyes widened and became more humid.

"She couldn't have anticipated any of that." Sora had a reprehensive tone. She knew that Takeru was in a delicate emotional state but she could no longer allow him to keep acting like that. "What's important is that there were no bad consequences."

"What do you call Mimi-san letting the culprit get away?" Takeru inquired, bitterly. "Isn't that a bad consequence?"

"You call it 'being empathetic.'" Mimi replied in Sora's place. "You call it 'being merciful to someone who was afraid to die!'"

Homura giggled. Then, she said:

"That's a sweet sentiment but you can't be like that to everyone. Sooner or later, you'll run into someone who won't deserve any kindness… someone you'll have to punish."

"Is that what you do?" Mimi questioned in low voice. "How many digimon have you punished?"

Homura took a whole minute to answer:

"Certainly more that could fit in any graveyard."

Mimi stopped walking and turned around to face the adult. The others stopped as well.

"How can you say something horrible like that as if it's no big deal?" The smaller girl nearly shouted. "How many of the digimon you killed have begged for mercy?"

"I punish those who hurt others. If I don't do that, more innocents would suffer and it'd be my responsibility." Homura explained. "Just like it'll be your responsibility if that Picodevimon attacks someone else."

"He wouldn't do that." Mimi retorted. "It was just a regrettable mistake."

"Kid, don't fool yourself like that." The adult advised. "You'll only get hurt."

A beep sound came from the woman's left gauntlet. She explained that a message had arrived and she needed to check it alone. Knightmon pointed his trembling sword in her direction.

"Demon, you've run from justice for too long!" The armored digimon affirmed. "Reveal your true identity and consider yourself under arrest!"

"Oh, please." Homura sighed. "We both know that you are not able to arrest me."

"You've taken uncountable lives!" Knightmon stated. "Even among the good citizens of the Uppertown!"

"Only because the Police has failed to protect the population." Homura's tone was severe. "If I only targeted digimon from the Downtown, I'm sure I'd be regarded as a hero by your corrupt institution."

The woman took a step in his direction while holding firmly her katana on her right hand. The cop took a step back.

"What kind of digimon are you? Why are you helping the chosen children?" The monster insisted with a hesitant voice.

"I don't owe any explanation to the likes of you. But be warned: if something happens to these children in my absence, there will be a lot of blood to be cleaned from the Police station's floor." Homura threatened the police officer. Then, she spoke to the children: "Don't tell anyone anything unnecessary."

After saying that, the warrior ran to her left, entering an alley and quickly vanishing from their sights.

"What do you know about that assailant?" Knightmon inquired the chosen children and their partners.

"We have no idea who she is." Sora hurried to answer. "We've just met that _digimon_. She had captured a little monster that had attacked me."

Mimi blinked twice. _I didn't expect Sora-san to lie so well._

"Okay, then." Knightmon sighed. "But be careful with her. She's extremely dangerous."

"She only harms bad digimon, though." Takeru pointed out. "And she helped Sora-san and the rest of us."

"That doesn't excuse her brutality." Mimi disagreed.

Takeru smirked bitterly, which irritated Mimi.

"What is it?" The younger girl asked.

"Mimi-san, it seems that you're only compassionate towards those who want to take our lives." Takeru stated.

The fourth grader was enraged by the comment and was about to protest but Sora spoke first:

"Takeru-kun, stop that! I know that you're upset but that's no way to talk to other people!"

"Why are you taking her side, Sora-san?" Takeru felt hurt.

"It's not about taking sides, Takeru." Palmon said. "Your behavior is making everybody concerned."

"Takeru, I know how you feel but-" Piyomon attempted to make the smallest child understand but the boy did not give her the chance to finish her sentence:

"You don't know how I feel!" He corrected her, coldly.

 _What should I do?_ Sora thought, apprehensively. _How can I help him?_

"We used to get along well, Takeru-kun." Mimi reminded the boy. "Don't you remember how you supported me when I wanted to give Meramon a chance? You used to be so generous and kind."

Takeru glanced down; Poyomon was looking up to him with a worried expression.

"Nobody can stay forever like that, Mimi-san." The boy retorted as he resumed walking. "We all need to grow up."

The others continued their walk as well, silently.

After five minutes, they noticed that they had arrived in a different part of the city. The streets were clean and the fruit trees planted in the median strips seemed to be healthy and well preserved.

They passed in front of the Coliseum, a huge stadium like building that had a line of digimon at its main entrance, above which there was a placard saying "Music Festival Subscriptions".

The City Hall was located right next to the Coliseum. The white building was a four floors mansion surrounded by a beautiful garden full of colorful flowers. A couple of benches were placed among the exuberant vegetation. The children and the digimon crossed the gate connected to a high metallic fence and quickly crossed the garden. After entering the building, there was no time for them to admire the refined chandelier that illuminated the entrance hall, nor the paintings decorating the walls or the expensive-looking furniture. Knightmon urged them to climb the stairs and enter the first room on the right.

Waiting for them, sitting behind a table covered with papers, in front of a balcony, there was a monster that resembled a giant red frog. The digimon stood up and walked around the table in order to take a closer look at the children. He told Knightmon that he was dismissed and smiled at the kids once they were left alone.

"Good morning. I'm Tonosamageckomon, elected Mayor of Aurora Town." The monster introduced himself. "I recognize a Piyomon, a Palmon and a Poyomon…" He frowned after saying the last name.

"I'm Takenouchi Sora."

"I am Tachikawa Mimi, nice to meet you."

"… Takaishi Takeru…"

"I have to say that I was distressed when I heard that the chosen children had returned to this town." The Mayor admitted. "But I was informed that, not only you were different people from the ones from back then, but also that one of you stopped the Demon from killing a digimon. That was one of the most surprising things I've heard in my entire life."

"Picodevimon attacked Sora-san." Takeru informed him.

"That's what makes that showing of mercy even more splendid!" Tonosamageckomon continued. "A chosen child being merciful to someone who attacked her group! That is such a strong message of hope and acceptance! It's exactly what this city needs!"

"The digimon we've met were afraid of humans. Why?" Palmon asked.

"You don't know?" The Mayor was surprised. "You haven't heard about what happened in this town at the end of the war between the Sanctuary and the Academy?"

"What happened?" Mimi wanted to understand.

Tonosamageckomon took a deep breath and indicated a red sofa next to the left wall of his office. Once the children and their partners had sat on it, the Mayor pulled the armchair from behind his table and put it across from the kids, before sitting on it. Then, he narrated:

"Aurora Town is the oldest city that exists. According to the tradition, the Spirit of the World emerged from where today is Raven's Canyon and created the Digital World. The first digimon were born here and they grew to worship Fate. The Town became bigger as digimon from all around the world started to gather here, believing they would be in touch with the Creator. The Uppertown, the closest place to Raven's Canyon, soon became disputed territory. As the time passed, only the richest could live in that place and it developed into a big cultural and economic center. Those who could not afford to make a living in the Uppertown migrated to its surrounding area: the Downtown. For many centuries, the population from the Downtown was not even acknowledged by the inhabitants of the Uppertown. They didn't have citizenship; they were forbidden to demand things from the City Hall and, after some time, restrictions were imposed to them… the politicians wanted to stop the poor from invading the spaces of the privileged. When Seraphimon came, he continued the segregation policy; according to him, Raven's Canyon was a sacred place that had to be protected from impure digimon… with all the means he judged necessary…"

Tonosamageckomon gulped and his hands trembled a little. Mimi assumed that he had remembered something painful.

"Anyway…" The Mayor continued. "When Seraphimon was defeated by the Queen, she came to this city and radically changed the laws of this place. She established that every inhabitant of Aurora Town, including the ones from the Downtown, was a citizen and had the same rights. The Queen created policies to guarantee that the poor population would have access to the best education and jobs that had been denied to them for so long. She abolished the segregation laws and, suddenly, the folk from the Uppertown had to accept that those they had always seen as inferior digimon were now their equals. You can imagine that the privileged didn't like that. That's what motivated the richest digimon to finance the Academy. And it was the Academy that brought the first chosen children to this world."

 _The Queen helped the poor population?_ Takeru was astonished. _But that can't be right… she was evil!_

"Even when it was evident that the Sanctuary was going to fall, the inhabitants of the Downtown wouldn't abandon the Queen… and they refused to surrender even after her defeat. The chosen children were called here to end the resistance." The Mayor continued.

"Don't tell me… they defeated the folk from the Downtown?" Mimi asked, afraid of the answer.

"Defeated is a kind word…" Tonosamageckomon spoke with sadness. "The night the chosen children attacked… 98% of the population of the Downtown perished."

"It can't be…" Sora was shocked.

Mimi paled, remembering what Tamaki had told them. _This is what he was talking about. This is why he's filled with regret and sadness. Then even Tamaki-san… even the holder of purity has done something this awful…_

Takeru was even more disturbed. _98%? That number is too high! They couldn't all be villains, could they?_

"Those who survived had most of their rights revoked, except the right to vote… you see, they weren't the majority anymore." Tonosamageckomon had a sorrowful voice. "Slowly, new digimon have migrated to the Downtown. Nobody knows how many of them had been there before. The population grew in a slow pace and the memory of that night never faded, no matter how much the Academy and the Uppertown inhabitants tried to paint that massacre as a fair act from the 'saviors of the world.' My folk remembered and resisted until they put one of them in the City Hall."

"Does this mean that you were a supporter of the Queen?" Takeru asked. To the surprise of the girls, he sounded very calm.

"I'm not going to say that she was perfect… she made many mistakes, everybody does. But she was defeated because of the things that she did right. Despite the wishes of the victors, many digimon know the truth." Tonosamageckomon replied.

"Isn't that just your interpretation?" Takeru questioned, anxiously. "The Queen could've been vicious and you all got her motives wrong."

"You really can't accept it, can you?" Mimi asked Takeru. "You can't accept that Devimon was loyal to a Queen who helped many digimon."

Of course Takeru could not accept that. If Devimon had worked for someone righteous that would mean that he possibly was not the complete psychopath the child thought he was. But that could not be right! Devimon had corrupted innocent digimon and made them unable to be reborn. He had attacked a village full of babies, killed Elecmon and nearly murdered the other children. Patamon evolved and sacrificed himself to protect everybody else from the evil Devimon! _That Queen killed her own brother! She was the boss of Devimon and Ladydevimon! Because of her, the Digital World and the Human World are in danger! What am I doing? I can't begin to have doubts now! She was as evil as Devimon! I can't deny that, otherwise it would be disrespectful to Angemon._

"Why did you bring us here?" Sora asked the Mayor.

"I want the chosen child who saved the Picodevimon to open the music festival." Tonosamageckomon answered.

"EH?!" All the others were startled to hear that.

"W-what do you want me to do exactly?" Mimi got nervous.

"Let me explain." The Mayor sounded excited. "This afternoon, we'll have the return of the music festival, a tradition from the time of the Queen. It will be transmitted to the entire town! This city has been divided for too long, and lately there has been an increase in the violence. If you talk to the citizens, Mimi, they'll see that they don't have to be bound by the past anymore. You can give them courage and hope to move on. You can bring everybody together!"

Mimi stared at Tonosamageckomon, perplexed. _Is he serious? He wants me to talk to the citizens of this town and somehow encourage them? He wants me to say something inspiring that will bring them together? Something that will make them put behind I don't even know how many years of hatred?_

"Excuse me, Mayor," Sora spoke, serenely, "I'm sorry for saying this but I don't think we can help you. We are on a mission to find the giant cactus and it's kind of urgent-"

"You're after the giant cactus? The one with a huge flower at its top?" Tonosamageckomon sounded amused. "But that's perfect! The cactus is in the middle of the Coliseum! That's where the music festival will occur!"

"S-seriously?" Sora was in disbelief.

"That's an incredible coincidence!" Palmon exclaimed.

"Coincidences don't exist." An elderly female voice came from the other side of the closed wooden door of the office. "Everything that happens in our lives is part of Fate's plans."

The door was opened and a digimon who looked like a short old lady entered the room, slowly, using a wooden cane for support. Her skin was pale and her gray hair covered her eyes. She wore a green dress with long sleeves and a large pink collar. Piyomon and Palmon looked at her with great interest.

"Tonosamageckomon, I've come to let you know that the arrangements for your speech are ready." She said in a weak voice, turning to the children right after that. "Who are the visitors?"

"I should introduce you. This is Babamon, the vice-Mayor and the sweetest and most supportive digimon I've ever met. Those are the new chosen children. The one with the big pink hat saved a Picodevimon from the Demon and will make the speech in my place." The Mayor said. Babamon's lips trembled for a fraction of a second before she showed the newcomers a bright smile.

"If this young lady is going to be part of the festival, she should sing, don't you think?" Babamon opinionated. "A speech so important is more suited for you, sir, than for a little girl."

Sora disapproved the condescending tone she heard in Babamon's voice but did not say anything about it. Mimi, on the other hand, seemed to be relieved.

"I do like to sing!" The fourth grader spoke cheerfully. "That's something I'm sure I can do!"

"Mimi…" Palmon muttered. _Is she doubting her own capability? Haven't I told her already about how strong she is?_

"Very well." Tonosamageckomon sounded resigned. "I'll open the festival with the speech and Mimi will sing right after."

"Then we should get ready. Please, follow me." Babamon said, walking towards the door. Mimi and Palmon followed her. Sora and Piyomon were about to do the same but noticed that Takeru did not move from the couch. Poyomon was sitting next to him.

"Takeru-kun, how about we go to the garden and talk?" Sora suggested.

"I don't feel like doing that." Takeru murmured, grabbing Poyomon. "I also don't want to go to help Mimi-san with her presentation."

Sora felt anxious. _Do something! Tell him something that will make him feel better! But what can I do?_

"Come on, Takeru." Piyomon insisted. "Come with us! It's going to be fun!"

"Mayor!" Takeru called in loud voice. "Is the festival starting any time soon? I could go to the Coliseum already."

"Takeru-kun, I'm not going to let you go there alone!" Sora stated.

"It's okay, Sora-san. I understand that you prefer to be with Mimi-san." Takeru whispered, standing up.

"Babamon should go to our booth in less than 30 minutes, I believe." The Mayor told Takeru. "You could wait for her in the entrance hall."

"Thank you." Takeru said, heading to the door. Sora and Piyomon followed him until the entrance hall, downstairs.

"Takeru-kun!" The girl called him. The boy kept his eyes fixed at the garden beyond the double doors of the entrance hall.

"Sora-san, I've already told you-"

"I know that kind of anger." The girl affirmed. "That righteous feeling that takes you over… that makes you so combative. I might never have suffered the same kind of loss you have but I recognize that anger. And I know that it's just to mask how sad you are."

Sora did not plan to say any of that. The words simply found their way out, as if they were sentient beings reclaiming their freedom. For how long have them been suppressed? At that moment, the fifth grader knew that she would not be able to stop those words.

"It's a crushing sadness so unbearable that makes you want to run away… but you can't. Then you try to disguise it… you try to convince yourself that you're just angry because that feels like you have some control… it feels less like you're being dragged down. But you still are falling into the darkness."

"Sora, what are you…?" Piyomon felt anguished. _What is she saying? All this time… has Sora felt like this all this time?_

"Sora-san…" Takeru had a pleading tone. "I just want to be alone for now."

"But you're suffering, Takeru-kun, I can't leave you-"

"WHY DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?!" The second grader cried, closing his eyes fiercely. When the girl did not say anything else for almost a minute, the boy opened his eyes again and looked in her direction. In Sora's wide open eyes, a couple of tears formed.

"I'm sorry, Takeru-kun." She murmured, turning around and starting to climb the stairs. "I never intended to hurt you further."

The girl passed by her partner's side without glancing at her, on her way upstairs. The bird digimon could see the heartbroken expression on Sora's face. Then, the monster glared at Takeru.

"You're not alone." Piyomon had a scolding tone. "Poyomon is right there with you. How about you stop acting as if you had lost him forever?"

The youngest child observed the digimon follow her friend to the top of the stairs and disappear from his sight.

"Sora!" Piyomon called the girl walking in her front.

"Maybe it's better to leave Takeru-kun alone." Sora said. "Maybe it was wrong of me to think that I could-"

"What are you hiding from me?" Piyomon demanded to know. "Those things you told Takeru… do you have that kind of sadness in you, Sora?"

The girl stopped walking but did not turn around. The bird digimon stared at her friend's back.

"Why don't you tell me what's wrong, Sora? Why don't you let me get close to you?"

"I'm not sad at all, Piyomon." Sora tried to sound happy. "I was just trying to help Takeru-kun, don't over think about what I said."

 _She's lying to me._ The digimon thought. _What do I have to do to make Sora trust me? How can I protect her when she keeps me away?_

The nightmare she had in the underground temple resurfaced in her mind. The digimon trembled, remembering the visions she had about the human girl being swallowed by endless darkness.

"Let's help Mimi-chan with her presentation!" Sora spoke, suddenly. "She must've entered one of the doors in this corridor."

Piyomon did not reply. She followed the fifth grader, in silence.

Downstairs, Takeru looked down and met Poyomon's eyes.

 _What did I do?_ The boy was lost in thoughts. _Why did I yell at Sora-san? She was just trying to help! Everybody is concerned about me… why am I doing this? I don't feel like myself anymore!_

"Did I scare you, Poyomon?" The boy questioned as his sight became blurry with tears. "I did, didn't I? I'm scaring everyone… especially myself… I'm sorry. I-I don't know how to deal with this…"

Takeru kneeled on the floor and put Poyomon on his lap. The kid closed his eyes once again but that did not stop the tears from falling. His trembling hands could barely hold his partner.

"It hurts so much… I know that you're here with me and that you're safe now… but still… I'm sorry for being such a cry baby. I don't know what to do... I don't know what to do…"

The child felt his lap get warm and opened his eyes. White light had enveloped his friend. When it ceased, Tokomon was staring at him with tearful eyes.

"Don't cry, Takeru." The small creature pleaded. "Don't you know that I cry when I see you like that?"

"You remember me…" Takeru tried to smile and cry at the same time.

"I would never forget my best friend." Tokomon affirmed. The boy hugged his friend with all his might and love. After that, he rushed upstairs, calling for Sora and Mimi. The fifth grader opened the door at the end of the corridor and Takeru ran into a huge changing room filled with diverse clothes, shoes, wigs, hats and other accessories.

"TOKOMON IS BACK!" Takeru announced. "AND HE REMEMBERS ME!"

"That's great, Takeru-kun!" Sora exclaimed, deeply happy.

Mimi, who was carrying five different dresses at the same time, let the clothes fall on the floor and ran to where Takeru, Sora, Piyomon and Tokomon were. Palmon, who had been by the side of the girl, did the same.

"I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU, TAKERU-KUN!" Mimi shouted as small tears accumulated in her eyes.

"Thank you!" Takeru felt that he could explode with happiness. "Mimi-san, Sora-san… I'm sorry for-"

"It's okay!" Mimi hurried to say, beaming.

"You forgive others too easily, Mimi-san." Takeru commented.

Sora wiped a few tears from her eyes as she watched the other two kids. Piyomon was relieved to see her partner smiling genuinely.

"It's good to see you getting along again!" Sora said. "I know that both of you feel strongly about things. There's nothing wrong with it as long as you respect each other… it's important to try to understand other people…"

 _"Why don't you understand?"_ Sora remembered the question she had made to her mother long ago. The same question Takeru had made her a little earlier.

"Is there something wrong?" Piyomon asked, noticing the girl's sudden upset face.

"What? No! Nothing at all!" Sora put a smile on her lips and looked away from the others. Her glance landed on a big oil painting on the left wall. "What's that?" She asked.

"Beautiful…" Mimi said, blushing. The painting showed a woman in red. The upper part of her head resembled a rose.

"That's Rosemon, an ultimate level plant digimon." Palmon explained.

"An ultimate… that's stronger than perfect level, right?" Takeru asked.

"Yes." Piyomon confirmed. "But I wonder why there's a painting of a Rosemon here."

"That's because I'm nostalgic." Babamon told them, coming in their direction carrying what resembled folded white fabric. "I like to admire how I was in my best years."

"You used to be that Rosemon?" Mimi was surprised.

"Does that mean that you are post-ultimate level? Is that a thing?" Sora was curious.

"I'm still an ultimate." Babamon clarified. "Sometimes digimon change when they become really old, without having to go to a superior level."

"How old are you, Babamon?" Takeru asked.

"Young boy, you shouldn't ask that kind of question of women, you know?" Babamon laughed.

"Why not?" Mimi was puzzled.

"What?" The older female digimon did not understand. "Isn't it obvious? After a certain age, women should keep quiet about-"

"But why?" Mimi insisted. "Is there something shameful about getting old? My Mom always says that the older you get, the wiser you become!"

"My Mom says something like that too." Takeru added.

Sora had the impression that Babamon seemed irritated. The older digimon gave Mimi the folded fabric she had been carrying. The younger girl unfolded it and realized it was a long dress with sleeves that could cover her whole arms.

"W-what is this plain looking thing?" Mimi questioned.

"That's what you're going to wear in the festival." Babamon explained with a smile. "A modest dress to highlight-"

"WHAT?" Mimi was not happy. "I don't want to wear this ugly thing! There are so many cute clothes in here!"

"Come on, Mimi-chan, your outfit is not what matters." Sora tried to calm the other down.

"IT MATTERS TO ME!" Mimi stated, startling Sora. "I only wear what I like! I don't want to put on this thing!"

Babamon approached Mimi and caressed the girl's face with her right hand, while sustaining her weight on her cane with the left one.

"You are so beautiful." The digimon said. "It's disgraceful to see the owner of this beauty acting like some spoiled brat."

"Hey!" Palmon did not like what Babamon had said but the older digimon continued:

"I was once a really ugly Palmon but when I became beautiful I made an effort to be worthy of that. I was humble, gracious, polite. I never raised my tone of voice to anyone. I behaved the way it was expected of me, like a lady, and that granted me many wonderful results."

Mimi grabbed Babamon's hand and took it off of her face.

"Did you enjoy yourself by being like that?" The girl asked, seriously. "Or were you just trying to please others?"

"You…" Babamon's lips trembled but she quickly put a smile on her face. "Do you only do things that you like? You need to grow up, kid, and pay respect to what you should become."

"Mimi-chan is fine the way she is." Sora intervened. She could not stand Babamon's line of thought.

"That's right!" Palmon agreed, vehemently. "Mimi is already super cool and strong!"

"She saved us all from a bad digimon once." Takeru recalled. "Mimi-san is brave and kind."

"Thank you, Sora-san, Palmon, Takeru-kun." Mimi was touched by their solidarity.

"It seems that my good intentions are not welcomed." Babamon commented. "Very well, do as you like. In the end, it won't matter, anyway."

"What do you mean by that?" Takeru found the other's words suspicious.

"What? Me?" Babamon giggled, turning her back to the children and walking away. "Nothing at all. Pay no attention to the words of an old lady like me."

After Babamon left the changing room, Mimi said that she wanted to take some fresh air.

"Mimi-san, where are you going?" Takeru asked. "You still need to decide what song you'll sing!"

"We can help you to pick another outfit as well, Mimi-chan." Sora suggested.

"Thanks. I'll be right back." Mimi muttered, leaving the changing room. Palmon followed her.

Mimi went to the garden and sat on a bench facing the Coliseum, about 100 meters away. Unlike the benches in the square, that mobile was clean and well-preserved. It was green painted and had drawings of small flowers decorating it. The bench was large enough for her and Palmon to sit side by side. The scent of the flowers planted around was sweet.

"Mimi, are you upset?" Palmon asked.

The girl took a deep breath. Then, she replied:

"People always praise my looks and beauty but it doesn't feel like they're actually praising me. When they say that, they usually expect something in return… like I should pay them back for having my beauty acknowledged. It's usually a way to make me do what they want. Hardly anyone praises me for speaking what comes to my mind… what people usually tell me is 'you should be quieter; you should be nicer; you should be sweeter'… it's like, for them, what really matters is how I'm seen by others. Just like that Numemon, I've had to deal with other people demanding me to be pleasant my entire life!"

"I'm sorry to hear that, Mimi." Palmon had a sad voice. "I didn't know you resented-"

"I don't resent a thing!" Mimi stated in an upbeat tone that caught the digimon by surprise. "My Mom always says that, when you're born a woman, society will do anything to tear your confidence apart. That's why I decided that I would never let anyone try to mold me!"

Palmon smiled, sadly.

"Mimi, even though you say this, you still don't completely believe in your own words, do you?"

"You noticed that?" The girl gulped.

"I've seen you worried about how the others see you, especially Sora and Jyou. And I have seen you hesitate many times, like when Tonosamageckomon asked you to make the speech."

Mimi frowned.

"I'm… kind of a hypocrite, aren't I?" She lamented. "I might give the impression that I'm super confident when I'm angry but it's not really like that. I want to believe in myself but I can't shake the feeling that I'm not all that capable. When the stakes are too high, I get frightened… I doubt myself… I hate this so much!"

"It's normal to be frightened and to doubt yourself. Especially considering how much you've been through." Palmon attempted to make the other feel better.

"Say, Palmon…" Mimi hesitated. "Do you think I was naive for not letting Picodevimon die?"

The digimon stayed quiet for a few seconds before replying.

"You're kindhearted. I've known that for a while. I think it's an admirable trait but it makes me concerned."

"Concerned?"

"Mimi, do you understand why you and the others were brought to this world?" Palmon had a grave tone. "Do you understand why we were waiting for you?"

Mimi did not reply, so Palmon continued:

"We knew, since we were born, that we would have human partners and that those partners would give us power. We were born to fight."

"That's horrible."

"No, it's not. It's our reason to live. You could call it our destiny. We were waiting for you to give us the power to fight for this world."

"Does that mean that I'll have to kill digimon?" Mimi asked, looking down. "Don't I have a choice?"

"Mimi, I'm very sorry about this." Palmon said, giving her a guilty glance. "I don't believe that you can avoid it."

"I don't want to take anyone's life."

"Even if it's someone like Devimon?"

Mimi remembered how she felt when the diabolical digimon was dying. She remembered thinking that he must have been in pain and that he looked sad. The girl knew that he had done terrible things and that he was going to kill everybody, including her. She knew that Takeru had lost his partner and his innocence because of that digimon. Yet, despite all of that rationalization, Mimi still felt sorry for Devimon. However, she did not think she could ever admit that. Despite desiring to be always true to herself, she was scared about what the others would think of her if they knew that she felt sorry for that monster.

Palmon and Mimi heard a commotion and noticed it was coming from the Coliseum. The girl wanted to take a look at what was happening and Palmon agreed in taking her there, as long as the fourth grader stayed by her side.

When they approached the line at the stadium's entrance, a few digimon murmured among themselves. However, the yells of a digimon who was being attended inside the Coliseum and resembled an orange monkey wearing sunglasses were a lot louder.

"Etemon-sama, please, calm down!" A little gray digimon pleaded with the monkey.

"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN, YOU FOOL!" The monkey digimon replied. "I HAVE BEEN OFFENDED! MY ARTISTIC SOUL IS TOO WILD TO BE CONTAINED BY THE TYRANICAL RULES SET AGAINST ME!"

"You're required to pay the three dollars fee to enter the festival, like everybody else." A black digimon who looked like a chess pawn (who was taking the subscriptions behind a table) said, annoyed. Etemon was yelling at his face.

"THIS IS AN ABSUUUUUUUUURD!" Etemon roared. "WHAT HAVE WE BECOME? TO HAVE TO SELL OUR TALENTS LIKE MERE THINGS! HOW FAR ARE WE FROM SELLING OUR VERY SOULS?!"

"That's so deep, Etemon-sama!" The little gray digimon had tears in his eyes.

"OF COURSE IT'S DEEP, YOU FOOLISH GAZIMON! DON'T YOU KNOW THAT I'M A GENIUS?" Etemon stated, proudly.

"Excuse me." Mimi said, approaching the subscription table as she searched for something in her bag. She took some money out. "I have some yen, I don't know how to convert them to dollars but… would this be enough to pay for his fee?"

The attendant stretched his hand in her direction, saying "anything to make this guy shut up."

Etemon and Gazimon stared at the girl, incredulously. The other digimon in the line seemed to be surprised as well.

"YOU LISTEN TO ME, YOU BRAT!" Etemon shouted, pointing to Mimi in a dramatic way. "I'M GOING TO TREAT YOU TO SOMETHING NICE TO SHOW YOU MY GRATITUDE!"

 _He yells even to show his gratitude_ , Palmon thought, astonished.

After finishing his subscription, Etemon led the human girl, Gazimon and Palmon to the street in front of the Coliseum. In a median strip, there was an apple tree filled with fruits. Gazimon climbed the tree and threw some of the apples to his boss.

"When you promised us a treat I expected something else." The girl sounded disappointed.

"He didn't have money for the fee; we should've anticipated that he wouldn't have money for the food." Palmon sighed.

"Don't be ungrateful, you brats! These are the sweetest apples in the whole town, don't you know?" Etemon complained, stuffing his mouth with two apples at the same time, while sitting on the tree's shade. Gazimon came down and sat by his side. The monkey continued:

"And here I thought you were a good chosen child!"

Mimi frowned.

"I'm sorry for what the first chosen children did." She had an apologetic tone.

"You really are weird." Etemon commented. "Why did you save that Picodevimon?"

"He was scared." She replied, simply.

"But you lot killed Devimon, isn't that right?" Etemon had a serious tone.

Mimi remained silent.

"There was no other choice." Palmon answered in her place.

"Devimon and I were raised like brothers. Mama loved him in spite of everything he did." Etemon stated, getting up from the shade of the tree and taking two steps towards the girl. "I guess that means we're enemies."

"Why?" Mimi questioned, frustrated. "Why do we have to be enemies?"

"Mimi…" Palmon muttered.

"I don't think you're evil, Etemon. Nor Homura-san nor Tamaki-san… not even Ladydevimon or the Queen." The girl was trembling and started to cry. "Isn't all this just a matter of different points of views? Isn't there another way to solve this situation that doesn't involve hurting one another?"

"I wish everybody could think like that." Etemon told her. "Wouldn't life be great if everybody could solve their problems just by talking? Unfortunately, that's not how reality is. In the end, if you guys become a hindrance to my family, I will have to fight you."

Etemon and Gazimon headed back to the Coliseum. Mimi wiped her tears with the back of her right hand. Palmon did not know what to tell her.

"I hate this!" The girl stated. "Why does everybody keep dismissing a peaceful resolution? If only they were willing to listen…"

"They can listen, Mimi." Palmon said, making the girl turn her head in the plant digimon's direction. "Did you forget? Today, you'll be heard by the entire city."

"Palmon…" Mimi was confused. "But you said-"

"I still think that, one day, you'll find yourself in a situation where you'll have no other choice than to fight." The digimon clarified. "But it doesn't have to be today, right? If there's something you think you can do, then you should do it."

"Thank you, Palmon." Mimi smiled brightly.

"I think the Mayor would let you deliver the opening speech. If you want to do that."

"I want to do that." Mimi admitted. "I don't want to let fear stop me when I have something important to say."

The two of them went back to the City Hall.

Someone had been hidden among the upper branches of the apple tree the whole time. Picodevimon observed the human who had saved his life with concern. He had been informed about the rest of the plan by Vamdemon and had gone to the City Hall to talk to his master's accomplice in there. But the plan had been devised considering that the Mayor would be the one to speak first.

 _That girl… why did she have to mess everything up? Maybe if I speak to Vamdemon-sama… but I doubt he would try to stop the plan now. He'd probably be happy if that human…_

The girl's voice echoed in his mind _. It was thanks to her… I'm only alive now because of her!_

Picodevimon had an idea. He flew to the Coliseum and looked for Etemon there. The bat digimon found him in a corridor, talking to Gazimon about how great his new song was. Picodevimon was hidden in the corner of a corridor that crossed the one where Etemon was. The small monster flapped his wings in a specific rhythm and invoked a group of bats, who formed a circle. Vamdemon was visible at the other side of it.

"VAMDEMON-SAMA!" Picodevimon made sure to speak loudly enough. "It's an emergency! Your plan to blow up the stage during the Mayor's speech has been compromised!"

"What are you talking about?" Vamdemon asked.

"One of the chosen children, a girl with brown hair and pink hat, is going to make the speech in his place! The clock bomb you prepared will kill her instead of Tonosamageckomon!"

"The death of a chosen child is still beneficial to me." Vamdemon retorted.

"But Master, what about the agreement you made with the digimon in this town? The condition for you to get new recruits for your army is the death of the Mayor! If _she_ learns about this change-"

"She doesn't have to know anything!" His master had a wicked smile. "My army is already big enough, I can afford losing this town. What I can't do is lose the opportunity of getting rid of another chosen child!"

"Actually…" Picodevimon sounded nervous. "I was informed that the child I attacked miraculously survived. I-I swear that's not my fault!"

"You incompetent!" The other roared. "You better pray for many deaths in that group of children today if you don't want me to-"

"There will be many deaths, Master! I swear! Please, don't punish me!" Picodevimon begged.

"Don't disappoint me!" Vamdemon hissed. The bats dispersed and the small digimon flew away _. I hope that was enough_ , he thought.

Etemon and Gazimon had heard everything.

"Was Vam-chan trying to kill the Mayor?!" Etemon was alarmed. "And now he'll let the girl who got me into the festival die? We need to warn everybody!"

"Are you sure about that, Etemon-sama?" Gazimon was worried. "The chosen children are your enemies, right?"

Etemon frowned.

"That's true. They were brought to this world to oppose Mama." The perfect level digimon talked in a serious tone. "But if a chosen child dies in the festival, I'm sure a calamity would fall upon Aurora Town once again. Besides, that girl… it'd be a shame if someone with that mentality died."

"Does that mean you're going to save her? That's very noble of you." Gazimon said. "We don't know how many are involved in this conspiracy, if we warned the wrong digimon it would be pointless."

"Then, we must wait until the child arrives." Etemon concluded. "And it's going to be a lot cooler that way!"

Mimi and Palmon decided to go back to the changing room inside the City Hall. There, she found Sora, Piyomon and Takeru debating about two dresses. Each child was holding one. Tokomon was on a fluffy chair close to them and Piyomon was between the kids.

"Sora made a good case for the red sleeveless dress." Piyomon said, in a very serious tone. "But I have to agree with Takeru: the glittered light pink dress is more like Mimi."

"What are you guys doing?" The fourth grader asked, getting closer to them. Palmon followed her.

"We…" Sora was visibly embarrassed. "You seemed upset, so we thought that if we selected some clothes you might like, you'd feel better… maybe…"

Mimi headed to Sora and asked to take a look at the dress she had selected. It was sleeveless, had a cute bow on the waist, had two straps on the shoulders and its bouffant skirt covered its user's knees. Mimi was amazed that something could be so simple and so elegant at the same time.

"Sora-san, you have excellent taste for clothes! This dress is gorgeous!" Mimi's voice was overwhelmed with admiration.

The other girl blushed intensely.

"I-It's no big deal!" Sora stuttered. "I don't actually understand about fashion… i-it's not my thing. I'm more of a sports person."

"Don't be silly, Sora-san." Mimi reprehended the other in a joking tone. "How liking sports would stop you from having good taste? Being good at both things only makes you even more incredible!"

Sora was left speechless. _Mimi-chan is so kind._

"I need to work on my speech now and have very little time to do it!" Mimi spoke with urgency.

"Speech? Weren't you going to sing?" Takeru did not understand.

"I changed my mind." Mimi replied, grinning. "I bet the Mayor is going to love the surprise!"

The time for the festival came. The Coliseum was filled with monsters. Tonosamageckomon, Sora, Takeru, Piyomon and Tokomon went to the Mayor's booth, at the highest floor, where Babamon was already sat on a comfortable chair, drinking Champaign. She looked at the Mayor in shock and became visibly agitated, even trying to leave her seat, but the red frog digimon convinced her to stay. At the other side of the grass field, opposite to where the children and their digimon were, a huge stage had been built. It had two iron towers decorated with red balloons at each side and a heavy metallic bar above it, where a line of stadium lights was. In the middle of the field there was the giant cactus that had a pink flower at its top. Around the field, there were eight plasma screens transmitting everything that happened in the area. Reporters and TV cameras were visible everywhere in the Coliseum.

"Etemon-sama!" Gazimon called his boss, getting into the convenience store inside the Coliseum where Etemon had been hiding. "I've seen the girl entering the field!"

"Great! Let's go!" Etemon urged.

The two of them rushed to the corridor that led to the entrance to the field.

Mimi and Palmon climbed the steps that led to the stage; the human was holding a microphone. The girl could see her image in the screens around the field and felt nervous.

"You can do it, Mimi." Palmon encouraged the girl in the red dress, wearing no hat. The fourth grader smiled at her and began her speech.

"I don't know a lot about this city. To be honest, until a few days ago I didn't even know about the existence of digimon." Mimi had a serene tone. "I know that you've suffered a lot in the hands of human beings and digimon. I know that there's a lot of hatred among you and that you think you're beyond the reach of words. But when you refuse to listen to one another, the only possible outcome is brutality. Haven't you suffered enough already? Isn't it time to look for better solutions?"

"GET OFF THE STAGE!" Etemon yelled, running through the grass field and jumping to where Mimi and Palmon were.

"WHO'S THAT?!" Takeru screamed, getting up from his seat while holding Tokomon, in the booth.

"One of the servants of the Queen." Babamon informed. "Etemon!"

"Is he going to attack Mimi-chan?!" Sora had despair in her voice. "Piyomon, evolve!"

Her partner did as she said and Sora climbed on the bird's right foot before Birdramon descended in the field's direction.

"Etemon, what do you want?" Mimi inquired.

Palmon evolved to Togemon and put herself in front of her partner. _Is he here to attack her?_

"I won't let you lay a finger on Mimi!" Togemon announced.

"I'M TRYING TO SAVE HER LIFE, YOU IDIOT! THERE'S A BOMB UNDER THIS STAGE!" Etemon roared.

Before Mimi could process the information, Togemon grabbed her and jumped off the stage, running away from it. A few seconds later, before Etemon could run, the stage exploded.

Mimi watched in horror as the metallic towers and bar collapsed on Etemon, who screamed as fire spread around him. Birdramon landed next to the fourth grader girl and Sora jumped to the ground.

"Are you alright, Mimi-chan?" The fifth grader asked, concerned.

"Etemon…" Mimi cried. "Etemon saved me…"

"Despite him being our enemy…" Togemon was shocked.

"Enemy? I don't understand!" Sora could not make sense of the situation.

Mimi freed herself from Togemon and ran to the fire.

"WAIT!" Togemon yelled, going after the girl.

 _He had no reason to help me and yet he did! Despite considering me his enemy… despite saying that my ideas were unrealistic… he… he listened to me…_

Green light came out of her digivice, which she had stuck on the bow of the dress, at the same time that the flower at the top of the cactus opened, showing a stone with the drawing of a drop of water with two circles inside. In a flash, the stone shrank and flew in Mimi's direction, being absorbed by the digivice. Togemon could feel a great amount of energy enter her body.

 _Fighting really isn't the only option! I don't have to kill anyone! There's so much more I can do! There are so many ways I can help others without hurting anyone!_ Mimi thought as green light left the digivice and enveloped Togemon, behind her.

"TOGEMON SUPER EVOLVES TO… LILYMON!"

A figure that resembled a flower fairy flew past Mimi in great speed, entering the fire. Soon, the metallic structures that had fallen were moved out of the way and the flying digimon emerged from the flames, carrying Etemon in her arms. Lilymon landed in front of Mimi, placing Etemon on the grass. His fur was scorched and his body was bruised but Etemon did not seem too hurt. He was a very resilient monster.

"You saved me…" Etemon sounded astonished, glancing at the digimon and at the girl.

"You saved me first." Mimi said with a big smile and tearful eyes.

"Could someone please explain what just happened?" Sora asked.

"SORA-SAN! MIMI-SAN!" Takeru called them, running in their direction with Tokomon in his arms. They had left the booth right after Sora and took an elevator to the field's level. "I don't understand! Isn't Etemon our enemy? Why did he save Mimi-san? It doesn't make sense!"

"As if I would let something as silly as 'sense' stop me from doing what I want!" Etemon stated, getting up.

"Etemon-sama!" Gazimon called him from the field's entrance. "The Demon will probably come to see what this commotion is about! We should run away, she might misunderstand everything!"

"I surely don't want to deal with that crazy samurai!" Etemon said, waving goodbye at the children as he fled.

"Are we going to see each other again, Etemon?" Mimi questioned. "I'd like to talk to you about many things."

Etemon pondered about what he should say but nothing insightful came to him. So, he improvised:

"One day, our paths might cross again in this crazy concert we call World. But only time can tell whether we'll make a country duet or a rap battle."

"I prefer Rock, though." Mimi informed, smiling.

"I like you, you weirdo." Etemon laughed. He and Gazimon left the field.

"Seriously, is someone going to explain what just happened?" Sora asked again.

"How about you guys have this conversation in my dojo?" Homura's voice came from behind them, suddenly. She was wearing her samurai armor and was in front of a sliding door connected to nowhere. "I took the liberty to pick that girl's original clothes and bag."

"Thank you." Mimi murmured. Homura opened the door and let the three humans and their partners enter. Inside the dojo, Lilymon reverted to Tanemon.

"Mimi, you made me feel so strong!" The small plant digimon said, happily.

"You do that for me too, all the time." Mimi told her friend, with a soft smile.

After Homura closed the sliding door, it vanished from the field.

In the Mayor's private booth, Tonosamageckomon had watched everything, astonished. Babamon observed him with attention.

"This terrorist attack was extremely grave!" The Mayor stated. "But the images of Etemon and the chosen child saving each other must've reached the whole town by now. They have potential to shake the core beliefs of hundreds of digimon! This is fantastic!"

The Mayor rushed to the elevator at the back of the booth and pressed the button on the wall. Babamon positioned herself behind him.

"We must find the responsible for this crime but I'm positive that things will get better now. I can feel that what happened here today will be the first step to a peaceful future!" Tonosamageckomon affirmed. Suddenly, he felt two ivies strangle him. Unable to breathe, he turned around and saw that the ivies came from the female digimon's sleeves.

"It's so frustrating." Babamon said. "I went through a lot of trouble to take my city back from a lowlife like you just to have my plans crumbling down in the last minute. That stupid vampire proved to be useless, now I have to dirty my hands."

The Mayor could not understand what was happening and could not think clearly due the lack of oxygen. Babamon showed him a large smile and added:

"The time of your childish dreams about bringing everybody together and moving on from the past is over. Under my rule, Aurora Town will return to its glory days!"

Tonosamageckomon's body was undone in uncountable particles. Babamon hid her ivies in her sleeves. _All those centuries fooling them all, letting everybody underestimate me. Nobody saw me coming. And now they'll all have to look up to me._

 **Thank you so much for all the amazing reviews.**

 **I want to show the ultimate levels of all the digimon partners, therefore I decided to make almost all of them evolve to perfect level in this arc. I hope you liked the chapter.**


	15. Under the surface

The bus for the camp had arrived and Koushiro and Jyou entered it. Mrs. Izumi had been waiting in the bus stop with the two boys, telling her son about what to do in case of emergencies, like fires, floods, accidents and any other disaster that could happen. Jyou could not help thinking that her worrying was somewhat extreme. Even he, who was a born pessimist, would not anticipate so many bad scenarios. It was especially strange because Mrs. Izumi seemed to be a tranquil person in general. However, when Koushiro's safety was on the line, she could forget all reason.

Jyou's parents were not like that. They were more objective and realistic, only giving the boy advice that he would certainly need. For instance, he was bringing along several books, in order to study in the camp. It was a suggestion of his father, who had reluctantly let Mrs. Kido and their elder children convince him that the younger child needed to have fun with other kids instead of spending the summer in a cram school. Jyou felt guilty for having to go to the camp instead of the cram school but could not object his family's orders.

"Jyou-kun!" Mrs. Izumi called him while the older boy was still on the steps of the bus; Koushiro, who was already close to one of the vehicle's benches, turned around, to pay attention to what his mother was going to say as well:

"Please, take care of Koushiro in the camp. Don't let him get in trouble."

 _She really does know her son_ , Jyou thought. During their first years of knowing each other, the younger kid, more than once, had let his excitement in discovering something new or talking about things he had learned get out of hand. For example, Koushiro had once insisted on them trying a new route to school, which made them get lost. They also got late to the first class a couple of times because the little boy would not stop debating something he was fascinated about until he had theorized ten different things about the subject. Jyou had even heard about times when Koushiro got in trouble with teachers because he disagreed with what they were saying in class.

It frustrated Jyou that Koushiro did not seem to have any self control when it came to those discussions. Even if he was right, why did he have to disagree with the teachers? Could he not simply nod to whatever the adult said and keep his opinions for himself, like a respectful student? Not that Koushiro was rude in purpose. In fact, he would not drop his polite speech no matter the circumstance. But sometimes, especially when he was younger, he seemed not to understand that other people were usually not interested in debating with him.

Luckily, Jyou helped the boy the best he could. He advised Koushiro to be more considerate of others and reflect on whether other people would want his inputs. It was for the little boy's own good to learn to be better to others. With time, Koushiro did become quieter and his politeness even increased. He still had occasional relapses but would not insist too long on the conversation if the other part was not as enthusiastic as he was. Jyou also advised him to spend more time studying school subjects and less time on the internet and to always do what his parents wanted because adults knew best. When Jyou spoke those things, Koushiro listened without interrupting. Then, he thanked the older child for his concern and apologized for what he was doing wrong.

Looking at the woman at the bus stop, Jyou gave her a large smile and said:

"I promise I will take good care of Koushiro-kun. Just like I've been doing since you became our neighbors."

Mrs. Izumi seemed to relax after that. Jyou continued to climb the steps and found Koushiro already on a seat opposite to the side of the bus where the door was, looking out of the window. Jyou sat next to him.

"You should have waited for me before sitting, Koushiro-kun." Jyou scolded him. "It was very rude of you, especially because I was talking to your mother."

"I apologize for that. It wasn't my intention to be rude." Koushiro replied in low voice, without taking his eyes out of the window.

"It's never your intention." Jyou commented. "But that's not an excuse, you know? I've told you so many times to be considerate."

"I'm sorry." Koushiro murmured.

"Why is it so hard for you to learn better manners? Everybody talks about how smart you are." Jyou wondered in loud voice, remembering that more than once his parents mentioned how clever the Izumi child was. It was especially annoying when they said that when Jyou was struggling with a difficult school subject.

Koushiro suddenly stood up, saying that he wanted to greet his sempais from the soccer club, who were on the back bench. Jyou had the impression that the younger kid looked pale.

"Are you feeling well?" The older boy asked. "Did you eat something bad?"

"I'm feeling great." Koushiro replied, putting a smile on his face. "There's no need for you to worry about me."

That was another thing that Koushiro said all the time. For some reason, Jyou felt something cold in his gut whenever that happened, but paid no attention to it. If the other kid said that he was feeling great, then everything should be fine. After all, people complained when there was something wrong.

 **Chapter 15: Under the surface**

After entering the book, Jyou and Gomamon found themselves falling into a dark space; below them, there was a light spot getting increasingly larger as they approached it. Once they crossed the spot, they hit a wooden floor, landing on their faces.

"Ouch!" Jyou let out, massaging his nose and turning his body so he could look up; above him, the open book was floating.

"Jyou, where are we?" Gomamon asked in his left. The boy rolled to his right side and stood up, to better examine his surroundings. Gomamon crawled to where his partner was.

"Is this a library?" Jyou asked, amazed. They seemed to be in a large saloon filled with dozens of bookshelves that were, each, at least ten meters tall. They were filled with not only thick books but also various objects, like colorful bottles, globes, knives and pens. In the specific spot they were in, Jyou and Gomamon were equidistant from ten bookshelves; the spaces between them formed five corridors.

The sound of something hitting the ground made the two of them glance at the narrow space between the book and the floor, where they found Koushiro and Tentomon. The human had hit his face on the floor, just like Jyou, and Tentomon had fallen on his own back and was not able to turn around and come to his feet.

"Are you alright?" Jyou asked, helping Tentomon to turn around while Koushiro rolled to the left, standing up next. The fourth grader's eyes became wide with excitement when he examined the place.

"I thought the book was a pocket dimension but it seems that it's a type of wormhole. How big is the place where we are now? How many books are there in here? How much knowledge about the Digital World is stored in this library?" Koushiro wondered in loud voice.

 _He's already all hyped_ , Jyou thought, sighing.

"Curious as ever, aren't you?" The high-pitched voice of Wisemon was heard getting close to them. The digimon came out from the space between two bookshelves and greeted the children and their partners. "It's always nice to see you in my carriage, Koushiro. It's so nostalgic."

"Carriage?" Jyou gasped.

"It's probably like Tamaki's base." Gomamon suggested.

"I've never been here before." Koushiro told Wisemon. "Why are you implying-?"

"This version of you has never been here before." Wisemon explained. "But other versions of you, in different universes, have been here."

"W-what?" Jyou stuttered. "Other versions? Other universes?!"

The cloaked digimon extended his arms to his sides and, from each palm, a hologram showing a bubble appeared. Then, other bubbles suddenly began to emerge from each bubble without breaking away from them.

"Do you know about the M Theory?" Wisemon asked.

"I-I've never heard of-" Jyou had begun to answer but Koushiro interrupted him:

"The M Theory, or Multiverse Theory, says that the universe can't be explained by Mathematics without admitting the existence of parallel universes to our own. According to this theory, our universe is like a bubble floating in a space near endless other bubbles. And each bubble is considered an entire universe, equal to or bigger than ours. The concept has its foundations in Cosmology and Quantum Theory, involving many ideas from the Relativity Theory, in a way that allows the existence of universes in which all possible quantum events can happen. There's enough space for these universes in a bigger dimensional structure: the Multiverse. It's said that some of these universes may be connected to black holes or wormholes. The M Theory proposes that the Multiverse is growing through a series of big bangs for a long time and will continue to grow. It also proposes that the laws of Physics can be different in each universe."

Koushiro felt the eyes of everybody in the room staring at him and felt uncomfortable.

"I, ehr…" The red-haired boy was looking for the right words, "I have a German friend I've met online; she knows a lot about Physics and we like to talk about these things. We find it interesting."

"Koushiro-han is really intelligent!" Tentomon had pride in his voice.

"Is he more intelligent than you, Jyou?" Gomamon teased his partner, who turned vividly red.

"It's not like that!" Koushiro hurried to say. "Jyou-san is two grades above me."

"T-That M Theory thing isn't even a school subject! I-I'm not required to know about it!" Jyou said. He crossed his arms and looked away. "And have I not told you before not to talk to strangers on the internet?"

"That theory is more of a College subject." Wisemon paid no attention to Jyou. "Koushiro's mind is too bright to conform to simple school subjects."

"I-It's not like that." Koushiro was becoming more nervous, glancing at Jyou and then at the tall digimon. "A-anyway, why were you talking about the Multiverse?"

"Oh, right!" Wisemon seemed to have forgotten what he wanted to talk about. "I've traveled through many universes and I've encountered you, the chosen children, many times."

"Do you mean that we become chosen children in multiple universes?" Jyou found that hard to believe. "Are we fated to come to the Digital World?"

"Do you believe in fate?" Wisemon inquired, lowering his hands and looking at Jyou.

"Well..." The older boy pondered about what he thought about the subject. His grandmother used to say that everything in the world happened for a reason but the child did not like to think that he could not control his life. However, during the time the woman was alive, the grandson never objected her in that regard. She was an elder, after all.

"What about you, Koushiro?" Wisemon gave the younger boy a piercing glance.

"I don't believe in fate." The fourth grader replied, crossing his arms.

"That's great!" Wisemon sounded proud. "That's the attitude the bearer of the crest of knowledge should have."

 _Crest of knowledge?_ Jyou was not sure about what he was feeling. _It's true that Koushiro-kun is smart… although he's always researching pointless stuff online. He doesn't put nearly as much effort in his studies as I do… and yet he gets the crest of knowledge…_

Jyou remembered their first day in the Digital World, when he found out that Koushiro had the best grades in his class despite only studying the day before the tests. The little boy was gifted, just like Jyou's brothers. People like the fourth grader could take life easy while people like Jyou had to work harder than everybody else, without achieving the same results. In the end, it was the red-haired kid who had the easiest time comprehending new concepts. It was the younger child who could calculate large numbers in his head and remember the dates of historic events without difficulty. It was him who was praised for his intelligence. Yet, Koushiro acted as if all that did not matter to him.

"Listen, Koushiro." Wisemon kneeled, so his eyes could be on the same level of the younger boy's. "No matter the universe, I always look for you to help me with this problem."

"What problem?" Tentomon asked, seriously.

"In the first universe I met Koushiro, he assisted me in my greatest creation: a security system for the Digital World equipped with artificial intelligence and capable of storing infinite amounts of information." Wisemon explained.

 _He can't be serious._ Jyou felt as if his heart had dropped to his stomach. _Koushiro-kun is ten! Sure, he knows about computers but… he can't possibly be knowledgeable enough to assist anyone in a project like that!_

"Sadly, that program developed a huge flaw." The tall digimon continued. "It keeps jumping from universe to universe, defying my orders. And it becomes more powerful and unstable the older it gets."

"Is it a defective program because of me?" Koushiro asked in a whisper. Jyou believed that the younger boy looked guilty and felt bad for him.

"For what I understood, it was another Koushiro who broke the thing. You're not responsible for that." The sixth grader tried to cheer the other kid up. "But it serves as a lesson for you: don't meddle with things beyond your capacity."

"Anyway," Wisemon began to talk again. "What I need you to do is to position some scanners in the canyon. You can do that while you look for the crest."

"I thought you wanted us to be your bodyguards. Why does it sound like you have no intention of leaving this place?" Gomamon inquired.

"The faulty program is at its strongest down the canyon. If I get too close, that thing might try to destroy me." Wisemon explained. "By doing the chore in my place, you'll be protecting me. Isn't this nice?"

"What guarantee do we have that the faulty program isn't going to try to hurt us?" Tentomon questioned, worried.

"None." The tall digimon admitted. "But since you're chosen children, it might leave you alone."

"I have a really bad feeling about this." Jyou sighed. He glanced at the other child and saw that the smaller boy had a scared expression. _What is Koushiro-kun thinking about?_ The older kid then realized that the prospect of facing another dangerous computer program certainly awoke bad memories in the younger one. _Koushiro-kun suffered a lot in the hands of Homeostasis… and I nearly left him… if he knows, he must utterly despise me for what I did. I can't keep avoiding this subject. I need to take responsibility and face him._

"I'm going to prepare what you'll need for the task. You can look around the place but don't touch anything." Wisemon said, leaving them.

Gomamon noticed that Jyou was staring at Koushiro and assumed that his partner wanted to talk to the other boy alone.

"Hey, Tentomon." The aquatic monster called. "Come with me; I bet we can find something cool."

"But…" The insect digimon sounded indecisive.

"It's alright, you can go." Koushiro told his partner in a tranquil tone.

"Okay, then." Tentomon gave in and followed Gomamon. The two monsters vanished from the kids' sights behind one of the bookshelves.

Alone with Koushiro, Jyou knew that it was time to have _that_ conversation with the fourth grader.

"Listen, Koushiro-kun…" The older boy hesitated. "I don't know if you know about it but… back in that factory…"

Koushiro turned around, showing his back to Jyou and apparently examining a shelf in his front. That action irritated the sixth grader but he chose to let it pass.

"You saved me." The younger boy murmured. "I was only able to fight Homeostasis because you were willing to sacrifice yourself for me. Thank you for that."

Jyou had the familiar sensation of something cold in his gut.

"I was going to abandon you." The older child confessed. "I thought that there was no way to save you… I thought all I could do was to save the others but nobody was willing to leave you. Koushiro-kun, I'm so sorry! I was going to do a horrible thing! I'm so ashamed of myself!"

A couple of tears escaped from the older child's eyes. He lifted his glasses and wiped them. Koushiro's silence was making him anxious. _Just say something! Yell at me! Call me a coward! Please, say something!_

"Jyou-san…" Koushiro muttered. "Don't worry about that. That decision wasn't wrong."

"What are you talking about?!" Jyou shouted. "I was going to abandon you in that state! Even though I had promised your mother to look after you! Even though I want to become a doctor and save people! It was disgraceful of me to give up so easily on you!"

"You saved me." Koushiro reiterated, without turning around to face the other. "And you didn't even have to do that."

"Of course I had to do that! You were my responsibility!"

Koushiro did not say anything for a couple of seconds. He took a deep breath and only then continued:

"Jyou-san, when my mother asked you to look after me and when the adults in the camp nominated you the group leader, none of them expected that we would come to this dangerous world. Nobody would blame you if something had happened to me or the others."

" ** _I_** would blame me, damn it! Isn't that enough?!" Jyou raised his voice. "And you should blame me too! Why are you being so reasonable about this? You should be angry at me!"

"I'm not angry at you. Nor do I blame you for anything." Koushiro elevated his tone of voice as well. "Could we please drop this subject already?"

Jyou was not satisfied with that response. Even if Koushiro was the kind of person who did not hold grudges, it was not normal for anyone to be that forgiving about the situation. Jyou certainly would not behave like that in his place. The younger kid could not possibly be that mature!

"Look at me!" The sixth grader demanded. "Repeat that while looking into my eyes!"

"What do you want from me exactly, Jyou-san?" Koushiro inquired.

"I want you to tell me how you're really feeling!"

"I've told you-"

"I want you to tell me the truth!" Jyou shouted. What was Koushiro trying to do? He had to be angry at him! That was the natural response! He had to be upset! Why was he not letting his true feelings out? What was he trying to prove?

"Why are you doing this?" Koushiro finally turned around to face Jyou. His angry expression made the other boy gulp. "Why do you care about that?"

"Because I can't stand it when people are dishonest!" Jyou told him.

The fourth grader raised his eyebrows.

"Then, how about you start being honest?" Koushiro's voice was uncharacteristically cold.

"I'm always honest! That's even my crest, if you haven't heard!" The sixth grader became defensive.

"We are alone now, Jyou-san." Koushiro's voice became lower. "You can just say what you really want to say. I promise I won't tell anyone."

"I don't understand where you're trying to get at." Jyou was confused by the other's words. Koushiro looked away from him.

"Do as you wish, then." The red-haired kid murmured, walking away.

 _That guy!_ Jyou was shaking with anger. _What's up with him? Why doesn't he just spit it out? He's so frustrating!_

Koushiro had been a mystery to Jyou since the first time they met each other, when the Izumis moved to his building. Their mothers had arranged for them to go to school together and Jyou tried very hard to be friendly to the little boy.

 _"My name is Kido Jyou. I'm a third grader and I come from a family of doctors. I'm going to become a great doctor when I grow up. What about you, Koushiro-kun?"_ The older kid had introduced himself before they left the building to go to school together for the first time.

 _"I don't know."_ The smaller boy had answered. _"I don't think a lot about the future."_

 _"That's no good! You have to plan your future, don't you know that? You need to prepare yourself and study a lot so you can go to a good high school and a good college and then get a good job."_

 _"I'm still in first grade."_ Koushiro had commented. _"There are many things that could happen in my life and change-"_

 _"That's a very irresponsible attitude, Koushiro-kun!"_ Jyou had informed the other. _"You need to become more mature! Otherwise you'll become one of those carefree guys who contribute nothing to society."_

Jyou remembered how much energy he had spent trying to be a good influence to Koushiro and how the other boy never seemed to truly appreciate that. The smaller kid always avoided talking about his personal life or about what he wanted to do, preferring to talk about something he had learned on the internet, even if it was super random and useless in real life. Jyou thought that the other child's behavior was no good at all. _It's as if he's hiding something. But what?_ Suddenly, Jyou remembered what the other boy had yelled during his discussion with Takeru:

 _"YOU DON'T KNOW HOW IT IS TO LOSE SOMEONE!"_

That had been the most shocking thing the fourth grader had ever said. Could it be that Koushiro had lost someone? Maybe an uncle or a grandparent he was close to? But Koushiro's mother, as far as the older boy knew, never mentioned upsetting things like a loss. The younger kid's father was another one who seemed to be completely happy. People who had lost a close relative wouldn't be like that, right?

Jyou began to feel bad for his attempt of apology not going the way he wanted it. He decided to look for Koushiro and try, once more, to have a proper conversation with him.

He entered the passage between bookshelves that the other had taken. A couple of minutes later, Jyou reached the end of the passage and found the fourth grader staring at a marble pillar about his height. Above it, there was a white metallic mask with no holes in it. The older child was ten steps away from Koushiro, coming from his right, but did not make any sound. The red-haired kid seemed to be terrified and was murmuring something.

"Let me go!" Koushiro had a pleading voice. "You're not real! You can't be here!"

 _Who is he talking to?_ Jyou wondered, concerned.

The younger human's right arm was lifted, apparently against the boy's will, and was about to touch the mask. The child with red hair attempted to take a step back but was unable to do it, as if he was being held in that spot by someone invisible.

"Let go of me! Don't make me touch that!" Koushiro's voice was panicked. "You're not real! You're not real!"

"Koushiro-kun!" Jyou called him. Koushiro turned his face to the older child. The look of despair and horror of the fourth grader disturbed Jyou and made him move in his direction.

"What is going on, Koushiro-kun?" He asked, grabbing the other kid's arm before it reached the mask. "Wisemon told us not to touch anything! It could be dangerous!"

It happened in the split of a second. Jyou felt a large, cold and invisible hand grab his neck and lift him from the floor. Then, he was thrown against a bookshelf nearby, knocking down a few books.

"JYOU-SAN!" Koushiro yelled. Suddenly, he seemed to be able to move freely and hurried to the other child, sitting next to him, on the floor. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Jyou was trembling, unable to understand what had happened. He looked to the other's face and noticed how shocked the fourth grader seemed to be.

"You were talking to someone…" Jyou recollected his thoughts in loud voice, "… the same thing that pushed me?"

"You didn't see nor hear anyone, right?" Koushiro asked in a whisper. "And yet… if he could touch you, then…"

Jyou noticed the other's eyes widening as fear filled them.

"You said _he_?" The sixth grader asked. "Could you see what attacked me?"

"N-no!" Koushiro quickly denied, diverting his eyes from Jyou. "I saw nothing. There was nob-nothing here… there couldn't be."

"There was something here! I felt it!" Jyou stated, touching his neck. "Whatever it was, it could've killed me… and it was trying to make you touch the weird-looking mask…"

"What is this commotion about?" Wisemon asked. He was coming from a different passage among bookshelves, behind the pillar, carrying a brown bag. The digimon glanced at the mask and, with a wave of his right hand, put it inside a bubble and made the object disappear.

"What was that mask?" Jyou inquired.

"Just a thing I'm going to sell in a future world I visit." The digimon replied, gazing at Koushiro. "If you had touched that, your heart wouldn't be beating now."

What truly horrified Jyou was that Koushiro did not express any surprise upon hearing that.

"Well, I've brought the scanners!" Wisemon said, cheerfully, picking a metallic ball of the size of an orange from the bag. "How about I look for your partners? You could put those books back in their place, if it isn't too much trouble. I hate messes."

"There was something here!" Jyou informed. "Something invisible attacked me! And it was trying to hurt Koushiro-kun!"

"Jyou-san!" The fourth grader sounded as if he wanted to stop Jyou from revealing that.

Wisemon stayed silent for a minute, before saying:

"There are stories about spirits wandering in the canyon. The carriage is descending into it right now."

"Spirits?!" Jyou gasped. He had learned about spirits from his grandmother. She had even taught him a few sutras to deal with them if he ever needed. "Spirits attacked us?"

"I can't make any confirmation." Wisemon said. "I'd better go after your partners now."

After the digimon left, Koushiro stood up and started to pick up the fallen books. Jyou did the same, grabbing a grey one titled _The good King's tale, by C. Renoir_. He had never heard of the book or the author.

The silence of the fourth grader was bothering him immensely. _Was Koushiro-kun capable of seeing spirits all along? Why did he keep this as a secret? Maybe he's just too shy to talk about it. I bet it must be a scary thing. I should help him to open up!_

"You know, Koushiro-kun, my grandmother used to say that she could see spirits." Jyou told the other. "I never saw one but she taught me a few sutras just in case."

The younger boy, who was holding a book with both his hands, was focusing solely at the shelf in his front.

"What I'm trying to say is that there are people who are more sensitive to the paranormal and there's no reason to-"

"Jyou-san!" Koushiro interrupted, closing his eyes forcefully. "I can't see ghosts!"

"I could tell that you were interacting with something!" Jyou did not believe the other child. "You were even talking to the spirit!"

"They're not spirits! That doesn't exist!" Koushiro stated with a pained expression. "They can't be…"

"They?" Jyou asked. "There was more than one? How many did you see?"

"I didn't see anything!" Koushiro denied.

"Can you please stop lying to my face?!" The sixth grader was getting frustrated once again. "I want to help you! If the spirits are related to you-"

"Who said anything about being related? Where did you get that from?" Koushiro asked, nervously. It was obvious for Jyou that he was trying very hard to hide the truth.

"Pretending that they're not real will only make things worse. We should find out what they want. Maybe we could help them, somehow." The sixth grader suggested. "Grandmother used to tell me that we should listen to what the spirits have to say. It's like paying respect to the elders."

Koushiro did not reply. The hands holding the book were shaking.

"Look, I can help you with the spirits!" Jyou spoke with confidence. "I can recite a sutra and-"

"There's no need for that, Jyou-san. There's nothing wrong." Koushiro affirmed.

"Why are you being so stubborn?!" Jyou demanded to know.

"Why are you being so insisting?!" Koushiro shouted. "Why can't you just leave me alone?!"

Jyou stared at Koushiro, astonished. The other boy was visibly in great emotional distress. Yet, Koushiro kept rejecting his help.

"Do you think I'm not capable of helping you?" Jyou inquired. "I see. After all, you're so _knowledgeable_ , right? The super intelligent Koushiro-kun who doesn't even need to study to get good grades surely doesn't need help from someone like me, isn't that right?"

Koushiro's face expressed deep sadness.

"So that's how it is." The fourth grader murmured.

Jyou felt insulted by that response.

"Alright, then! If you don't want my help, I won't insist anymore!" He stated, bitterly.

After that, the two boys remained in silence, rearranging the books in the shelf.

Meanwhile, Gomamon stopped walking when he felt that he and Tentomon were far enough from their partners. The insect digimon stopped by his side.

"Why did you want to separate me from Kouhsiro-han?" Tentomon asked.

"Jyou wanted to talk to him." Gomamon replied, showing a small smile. "Also, I wanted to talk to you alone."

"About what?"

"What is wrong with you and Koushiro lately?"

Tentomon stayed silent. Gomamon insisted:

"We all had plenty of sleep and ate a lot in the base. The reason why you can no longer evolve can't be because you're tired."

"You underestimate how tired I was." Tentomon commented in low voice, not sounding convincing.

"Was it because of tiredness that you didn't follow Koushiro after his argument with Takeru?" Gomamon was not willing to back down. He knew that there was something wrong and he would not let Tentomon get away with lying.

"You don't understand." The insect sounded irritated.

"I can only understand if you-"

"DON'T YOU SAY THAT TO ME!" Tentomon roared, startling Gomamon. It was out of character for the bug digimon to have outbursts. During their time together, prior to knowing their partners, Tentomon had always seemed to be an easygoing monster. Maybe because of his unwillingness to get into heated discussions, Gomamon did not understand the other's personality well enough. To see Tentomon in that state now made the seal digimon concerned.

The insect digimon looked away, as if he was ashamed of his shout. The aquatic digimon felt sorry for him.

"You can't show facial expressions now. You don't need to avoid looking at me to hide your feelings." Gomamon had a comforting tone.

Tentomon did not say anything back.

"Listen," Gomamon continued, "Jyou and I didn't have the best beginning for our relationship. Before I became Ikkakumon for the first time, we had a big fight and said awful things to each other. We met a Leomon who told us that evolution couldn't happen unless we cooperated. That guy was wrong about many things but was right about that one."

"I'm not being uncooperative." Tentomon informed. "And Koushiro-han and I didn't have a fight."

 _They didn't even have a fight?_ The seal digimon was surprised. _But there's certainly something wrong with their relationship! Could it be that they're avoiding a troublesome subject and that's what's straining their bond? This isn't good!_

"Maybe that's the problem!" Gomamon opinionated. "Maybe the two of you need to have a fight!"

Tentomon faced the seal digimon once again.

"How can you say something like that?! You don't even know what's going on!" The insect yelled.

"I know for personal experience that your friendship with your partner won't get better unless you both address your problems!" Gomamon insisted.

"It's easy to say those rich words when you don't know what we're going through!" Tentomon accused.

"What's your solution, then?" The seal monster inquired. "How long are you going to run from your responsibilities towards your partner?"

"Shut up, Gomamon!" Tentomon ordered.

"What is this? Do you want to fight me?" Gomamon spoke with defiance. "I'm not the one you should be directing that energy at!"

"Oh my, this carriage is noisy today." Wisemon approached the pair of digimon, coming from a passage in their left.

The tall digimon asked them to follow him. After a few minutes of walking in corridors created by long shelves, they found Jyou putting a book back on its place, while Koushiro seemed to read a different book by the sixth grader's side. Gomamon thought that his partner looked upset.

Wisemon instructed the children and their partners to put the scanners on the ground outside in an approximate distance of fifty meters between one another. He also said that they should look for a big stone that had a drawing of a cross with four triangles around it because that was the crest of honesty. Nobody seemed to be on the mood to ask too many questions. Koushiro volunteered to carry the bag with the spherical scanners before Wisemon led them to a different room where there was a door. He opened it and the other four could see an area filled with mist.

"I'm going to wait for you here. Be careful not to fall into the canyon!" Wisemon said, closing the door after the children and their digimon were out of the carriage.

"It's kind of hard to see." Gomamon said.

"Tentomon could use electricity to illuminate the path." Koushiro suggested.

"Isn't he too tired to do that? He couldn't even evolve earlier." Jyou recalled.

"What do you say, Tentomon?" Gomamon had a taunting tone. "Are you too tired to help us to see in this mist?"

"I can use lightning just fine!" The insect digimon stated, using one of his attacks. For a few seconds, the group could see their surroundings. They were standing on rocky ground, with the canyon twenty meters on their right. Fifteen meters on their left, a tall rock wall emerged as far as their eyes could see. In front of them, there was a descending path. They followed it slowly, placing a scanner whenever they felt that they had walked 50 meters. Every couple of minutes, Tentomon let out a few sparks to illuminate the path.

After an hour, they found a round pond blocking their way. The water came from a dark cave on the rock wall and almost reached the border of the canyon. It would be dangerous to try to walk on the twenty centimeters long passage between the end of the pond and the abyss.

Gomamon approached the water and, after glancing at it, said with excitement:

"The time has come!"

"Huh?" Jyou was puzzled. Gomamon took a deep breath and shouted:

"MARCHING FIIIIIIIIIISH!"

Suddenly, dozens of fish came to the surface and formed a living carpet.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Gomamon said with enthusiasm, jumping on the fish. "You can finally see with your very eyes my incredible power over the fish. I can control them and make them do anything I want! What do you think, Jyou?"

"Is this ethical?" Jyou had a troubled look on his face."You're brainwashing the poor things, right?"

"Be quiet and ride the fish." Gomamon sounded annoyed.

"Okay." Jyou agreed, carefully stepping on the living carpet. Tentomon preferred to continue to fly. Koushiro did not move from where he was. Cold sweat fell from his face as he stared at the water.

"Come on, Koushiro-kun." Jyou called him, impatient. The other boy took a step back, in the direction of the abyss's border, with a horrified expression.

"Koushiro-han, I can carry you." Tentomon offered, believing that his partner was just afraid of the water. The fourth grader took another step back, trembling.

"Is he scared?" Jyou asked, standing up and returning to the ground.

"Leave me alone!" Koushiro suddenly shouted. He tried to lift his arms but they did not move. The fourth grader glanced at his right and left, with pleading eyes.

"What's the matter?" Gomamon asked, jumping to the land as well.

Koushiro kept walking backwards, approaching the abyss. Jyou hurried to him and grabbed the other by the arms. The younger child screamed as if he was in pain.:

"LET GO OF ME! I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT!"

"Are the spirits here, Koushiro-kun?" Jyou questioned. "What are they doing to you? What are they saying?"

"Koushiro-han!" Tentomon flew in his direction. _Is he still listening to the voices? Has he been listening to them since…?_

Suddenly, the insect digimon's wings were paralyzed and he fell to the ground.

"What happened to you?" Gomamon asked, getting close to Tentomon.

"GO HELP KOUSHIRO-HAN!" Tentomon shouted.

Jyou was trying to pull Koushiro in his direction but a stronger force seemed to be pulling the smaller child towards the abyss. The sixth grader knew that the other kid was not physically stronger than him.

"They're going to kill me. This time, they're really going to kill me." Koushiro said, beginning to cry.

"Koushiro-kun, listen to me!" Jyou ordered, pulling the other with all his force. "I won't let anyone hurt you! I swear!"

Koushiro looked into his eyes and Jyou could tell that, on the inside, the other boy was asking for help.

"Jyou-san… do you remember those times when you said that good kids always obeyed their parents?"

 _Why is he bringing this up now?_ Jyou was confused.

"Koushiro-kun, I made a promise, remember? I told your mother that I'd take care of you! And I'm going to do that!"

"T-they w-want me to be with them…" Koushiro sobbed. "I didn't w-want to believe it was them… I t-thought it was all in my head and that I c-could just ignore them… but they hurt you… and now t-they hurt Tentomon… they're real, aren't they?"

"KOSHIRO-HAN, DON'T LISTEN TO THEM!" Tentomon yelled. Unable to stand up, he crawled in his partner's direction. "IT'S SOMETHING ELSE TRYING TO TRICK YOU!"

"Can someone explain what's going on?!" Gomamon shouted, anxiously, looking from Tentomon to the human boys.

"Jyou-san… do I have to obey my parents?" Koushiro's voice was almost inaudible. "D-do I really have to d-do what they want?"

 _What do his parents have to do with any of this_? Jyou could not understand. _Wait! His parents, especially his mother, wanted him to be safe! To stay out of trouble! Maybe the memory of how much his parents love him helps Koushiro-kun to resist the spirits!_

"Your parents want what's best for you, Koushiro-kun!" Jyou spoke with conviction. "Of course you have to do as they say!"

The fourth grader paled intensely and looked like someone who had his heart torn in pieces.

"My parents…" Koushiro's voice was nothing but a whisper and the force pulling him to the abyss became so strong that Jyou was losing his grip on him. The red-haired child did not divert his eyes from the older boy. It was better than paying attention to the two people pulling him.

The woman with long red hair and the man with short black hair were now completely visible to him. The boy had seen their silhouettes for the first time during the first feast in Tamaki's base. That scared him so much that he let a cup slip from his hands. Then, he listened to their voices right after Mimi helped him with his panic attack. Once again, they became visible for a split second during his conversation with Takeru. During that night, the only way to ignore their singing was to hum. When the morning came, Koushiro had hoped that the torment had stopped. But it returned when he found himself alone in the carriage. His dead parents appeared by his side, only slightly transparent. They pushed him in the direction of the marble pillar and forced his arm up, telling him to touch the mask. And now, they were hugging him tightly, whispering in his ears to break free from Jyou and let them drag him down.

"Jyou-san… my parents want me to die."

The shock made Jyou loose his grip for enough time to allow Koushiro to fall into the abyss. Both the older boy and Tentomon screamed. Jyou leaned in the canyon's direction but could see nothing beyond the mist.

 _This can't be happening!_ Desperate, Jyou tried to deny the reality in front of his eyes. But it was not possible. The vision of the child falling to his death was too clear in his mind. All because he had loosened his grip for a fraction of a second. _I was going to protect him… I promised…_ Jyou felt guilt take his body over. It was painful to breathe. _I just made everything worse… I couldn't help him in any way… I let him die…_

"It's my fault." Tentomon cried, regaining his movements. "I didn't want to listen… I didn't want to believe that his parents were calling him and now Koushiro-han-"

"His parents were calling him?" Jyou asked; his sight was blurred by his tears. "His parents are in Odaiba! What is this madness you're talking about?!"

"Not the parents who raised him! The parents that he lost!" Tentomon did not bother to keep that secret anymore. There was no point to it. His partner was dead because of Tentomon's negligence. "He told me that they made him jump into the well and I didn't want to believe in that! It was too scary… so I told him… I t-told Koushiro-han that he was just imagining things… that it was going to pass… what did I do?! How could I do that to him?!"

"The parents he lost?" Jyou processed that information slowly. "Then, Mrs. Izumi and Mr. Izumi… they're not his…"

"He's alive." Gomamon said, suddenly.

"Nobody can survive a fall like that!" Tentomon shouted as tears fell from his eyes. "Koushiro-han died! He died because of me!"

"Nobody should survive a shot from Picodevimon but Sora did!" Gomamon stated. "Didn't Koushiro fall into the healing water lake as well? He has to be in the window too, right?"

Jyou stared at Gomamon with his eyes completely open.

"You're right." The boy murmured, lifting his glasses and wiping the tears away. "It's very possible… it's Koushiro-kun we're talking about. That guy wouldn't die before getting answers for all the mysteries of the universe. He's alive! He has to be alive!"

Gomamon smiled in relief after seeing his partner calmer.

Tentomon observed the human with attention, before asking:

"Do you remember the conversation we had about parents before being abducted by the Pyokomon?"

Jyou remembered, but it took a few seconds for him to understand what the insect meant.

 _"Parents are very kind people who love you and take care of you."_

 _"If the adult who was once so kind as to take care of you, despite lacking any obligation to do so, suddenly has a change of heart and attacks you with no reason… if such a thing could be easily acceptable or even expected, the world would be a horrible place."_

Those were things that Koushiro had told them. And what Jyou had said was:

 _"Parents are biologically linked to you. They teach you the right values and expect you to honor your lineage and your ancestors."_

No. It was not just that. How many times did he say insensitive things to the younger child without realizing it? And the fourth grader never called him out for that.

"Koushiro-han loves the parents that he has now, and they love him too." Tentomon stated. "Even if I've never met them, I know it's true. And I won't let anyone say that they're not his parents. Do you understand me?"

"I know that they love one another very much. Anyone can tell that just by looking at them." Jyou replied. "But I never thought that a love strong like that could be born from people not tied by blood… I still have a lot to learn."

"You can talk to Koushiro about it once we find him." Gomamon suggested.

Tentomon glanced at the pond nearby, saying right next:

"I'm going to waste too much time following you through the long way. Sorry, but I'll take a shortcut."

Whatever force had paralyzed his wings had dispersed by now, so he took flight and disappeared into the abyss.

"That guy!" Gomamon commented, irritated. "How could he just ditch us here?"

"It's not like he could carry us two. He'll find Koushiro-kun faster this way." Jyou said. "Now, we need to hurry too. Let's ride the fish!"

"In better circumstances I'd be so happy to hear you say that." Gomamon lamented.

The fish had dispersed but the seal digimon invoked them again. The monster and his partner climbed on the living carpet and began to cross the pond. Suddenly, everything shook, and the water began flowing back into the cave. Gomamon did his best to urge the fish ahead, but despite their efforts, Jyou, Gomamon, and the fish couldn't escape the pull.

Jyou and Gomamon descended the dark corridor for several minutes, until they fell on a lake. The human would have sunk if the fish his partner commanded had not saved him.

"T-Thank you, Gomamon. I'm not a great swimmer." Jyou said, trying to sit on the carpet of fish while adjusting his glasses. The digimon was in the water. At the rocky floor and walls around the lake, and in its bottom, blue creeping plants emanated light.

"Jyou, look at that!" Gomamon said, indicating with his head something behind Jyou. The boy carefully positioned his body in a way that allowed him to face the other direction without falling in the water.

The boy was left speechless. In the wall, a square block five meters tall and five meters large was visible. It had the drawing of the cross surrounded by triangles that Wisemon had described.

"This is the lowest point of the canyon, several kilometers under the surface." A distorted voice echoed from everywhere. "If you activate the crest of honesty, you will find Izumi Koushiro."

"Who's talking to me? Are you a spirit?" Jyou asked, trembling.

"That's not incorrect." The voice replied. "There are, after all, many who call me the Spirit of the World."

 **This chapter was meant to cover the entire story of Jyou's search for his crest but I chose to divide it in two parts due to the length of it.**


	16. The beginning of all things

No light.

No sound.

No heat.

Was he asleep?

Everything was darkness.

He did not feel like he was standing, sitting or lying anywhere.

He felt nothing.

"Go back." Someone said. He could not describe that voice. Was it his own? How did his voice sound like?

"You shouldn't be here. Go back."

Was that a different voice from the first one?

"You can't stay here."

"Go back, Koushiro. You don't belong here."

Koushiro? That word sounded familiar. Was that his name?

"Go back."

Back where? Was there something else beyond the darkness? Has there ever been something else?

"Go back. You can't be here."

Why did he have to go back?

"Go back, Koushiro!"

He didn't know who he was, where he was or who was talking to him. But there was a thing he knew: that had been an order.

 **Chapter 16: The beginning of all things**

"The Spirit of the World?" Jyou asked, while the living carpet of fish took him to the border of the lake. Gomamon followed his partner and stood by his side.

"I've heard a few stories from Elecmon." The digimon recalled. "The Spirit of the World, also known as Fate, is a deity that created the Digital World. It's worshiped everywhere and there's this belief that everything that happens is decided by it."

"Fate?" Jyou muttered as cold sweat covered his forehead. "Could it be that Fate is the same computer program Wisemon told us about?"

"Of course not!" Gomamon nearly shouted. "Fate is an all powerful being that created the Digital World! It couldn't have been made by some perfect level digimon such as Wisemon!"

"Actually, Kido Jyou is right." The voice confirmed. "Billions of years ago, Wisemon developed my basic programming. But not even _he_ could anticipate what I would become."

"But I thought…" Gomamon could not believe what he was hearing. "I thought that Fate had created the Digital World. Are you saying that you're nothing but a security system?"

A flash of intense white light blinded Gomamon and Jyou temporarily. When they managed to reopen their eyes, they found themselves in a completely dark place. A spark of light appeared in the middle of the air and began to grow quickly, becoming a white sphere that swallowed them. Jyou and Gomamon had to close their eyes once more. They could still feel the ground under their feet.

After a minute, they dared to look around and almost fell on their backs. The two friends could see infinite points of light around them, getting into agglomerations with a growing distance from one another. Gomamon was marveled at the beauty in front of his eyes. He had no idea what those little lights in the darkness meant.

"Galaxies…" Jyou commented, amazed. "I've seen this kind of simulation in television but… this is… it's so real…"

"Universes tend to begin the same way." The distorted voice spoke, sending chills down the others' spines. "The beginning of all things is always a small point that expands in great speed and then in lesser speed. The initial unbearable heat is dispersed and the universe gets cold. Life sprouts from every imaginable corner but let's focus on one planet."

From the middle of the cosmos, Jyou and Gomamon zoomed into a structure that the human believed to be the Milky Way. The solar system got close to them and then they approached a blue planet in great speed.

Jyou saw himself, with Gomamon at his side, in the middle of a street of a metropolis. The people passed through them, as if the human and the digimon were ghosts. They were so fast that their bodies did not seem to be more than blurs. The days and nights succeeded one another in a matter of seconds. The skyscrapers changed position and shape until, eventually, they disappeared. The metropolis was replaced by ruins, then by a field, then by a desert, then lava began to come out from the ground that seemed to be breaking in pieces. Jyou and Gomamon were zoomed out of the planet. From the cosmos, they saw what once had been Earth being swallowed by the expanding sun.

"The entirety of human history begins and is over in the blink of an eye." The Spirit of the World began speaking again. "The Digital World, a dimension that exists in the computer network created by human beings, lasts even less. It's over long before the end of the universe."

The far away stars began to come in their direction. On reflex, both the human and the digimon shut their eyes tightly closed.

"In the end, everything is concentrated in a minuscule point, which will then expand and create a brand new universe." Fate continued. "Not to mention the universes originated in different ways. When I was made into this, I found myself in that very starting point of a universe and had to wait until the Earth was formed and the human beings created computers, just so I would be able to inhabit the Digital World. I never created any world, but I molded them the best I could. I got better at it with time. The Digital World was the only plane of existence where I had power. But the Digital World always came to an end and I was expelled back to the ruins of Earth to wait for the universe to end and restart, so I could inhabit another Digital World. By my calculations, I have been, so far, in 362 different universes. There's nothing as old as me. I am forever at the end and the beginning of all things. You can open your eyes now."

Jyou and Gomamon did as the entity said. They both felt breathless and somewhat nauseous. Jyou had to sit down and take deep breathes for at least five minutes.

"What we saw…" Gomamon murmured. "All of that… exists out of the Digital World?"

"I knew in theory how the universe came to be but I never…" Jyou felt dizzy because of the experience. "That was too much for anyone to take in!"

A familiar laugh was heard. The human and the digimon looked in the lake's direction and found someone they knew floating a few centimeters above the water surface.

"M-Mimi-kun?!" Jyou said, astonished.

The girl smiled brightly and told him:

"I wanted to make you feel more at ease, so I chose the appearance of a friend." Fate spoke, imitating the kindness Mimi usually put in her voice. "I considered taking the form of a relative of yours but I didn't want to alienate Gomamon. He's fond of Tachikawa Mimi as well."

"Y-You can't wear someone else's appearance! That's disrespectful!" Jyou said.

"Jyou!" Gomamon hissed, nervously. Did the boy not understand that it was dangerous to talk like that to the Spirit of the World? The deity, however, laughed at the human's indignation.

"I admire your courage, Kido Jyou." Fate said, still in Mimi's voice. "Now, I want to help you even more."

"Help me?" Jyou was surprised. "Help me with what?"

"I'll help you to activate your crest, of course." The other replied.

"Why do you want to help Jyou?" Gomamon questioned.

"I exist to serve those who are in the Digital World." The Spirit of the World said. "I give them what they want the most, even when they don't know it yet. I decide everything that happens and everything happens according to how I've designed it."

"Designed?" Gomamon was intrigued. "Do you mean that you brought us to this dark place so Jyou would find his crest?"

"My planning goes further back than that." Fate informed. "I've even arranged for you to have an extra motivation to get that crest out of the wall."

Gomamon observed Jyou and noticed how the boy paled and his eyes widened. The human stood up, contracted his eyebrows and clenched his fists.

"The ghosts that attacked us…" The boy's respiration was irregular and his entire body was shaking. "The ghosts of Koushiro-kun's parents…"

"My doing, obviously." The Spirit of the World sounded proud. Jyou could not control his fury and attempted to advance against the other. However, Gomamon put himself in front of his partner.

"Jyou, did you forget that you're not a good swimmer?!" The digimon shouted. "Besides, what do you think you can do against-?"

"KOUSHIRO-KUN SAID THAT HIS PARENTS WANTED HIM TO DIE!" The human roared, looking down at Gomamon; his eyes were getting wetter. "THAT THING IMPERSONATED HIS PARENTS AND TRIED TO KILL HIM!"

"Jyou, I understand-"

"NO, YOU DON'T! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING!" A few tears fell from the boy's eyes. "Y-you don't understand… how Koushiro-kun must've felt… WHO DOES SOMETHING HORRIBLE LIKE THAT TO SOMEONE? FOR WHAT REASON?!"

 _Unforgivable!_ Jyou was still trembling with rage. _Koushiro-kun was so scared! This thing tortured him! Made him cry! Shoved him into the abyss! I can't… I can't forgive that!_

"Everything I do is right." The Spirit of the World stated. "I have seen all possibilities in existence and I elected the best one to come true."

"The best possibility?!" Jyou yelled. "IN WHAT WORLD TAKING THE LIFE OF A KID IS CONSIDERED THAT?!"

"In a world where that child wants to die." Fate replied with simplicity. Jyou found the answer preposterous.

"I've known Koushiro-kun for years!" The sixth grader stated. "He's a happy child with a wonderful family and no worries at all! He gets enthusiastic about anything new! Koushiro-kun would never want to die!"

"Really?" Fate had a malicious tone.

 ** _"I'm a problem to everyone!"_**

Jyou and Gomamon heard Koushiro's voice coming from all directions.

"What is this?" The human asked.

 ** _"Why do I still make my parents worried? I do everything I can think of to be a good son. What am I still doing wrong?"_**

"Izumi Koushiro's thoughts." The Spirit of the World explained.

 ** _"Am I not smiling enough? Am I letting something out?"_**

 ** _"Don't let them see your face now! Don't make them concerned!"_**

 ** _"Everybody is too kind to me…"_**

 ** _"Why do people still put up with me?"_**

 ** _"What if I mess everything up?"_**

 ** _"What if I let them down?"_**

 ** _"Don't complain! It's not your place to complain!"_**

 ** _"Be considerate!"_**

 ** _"You're not trying hard enough!"_**

 ** _"Don't be rude to people!"_**

 ** _"Am I being a bother now?"_**

 ** _"Am I problem to everyone?"_**

 ** _"Of course I'm a problem!"_**

 ** _"I'm always getting in trouble."_**

 ** _"I'm such a pain."_**

 ** _"I keep doing everything wrong all the time!"_**

 ** _"I'm such an idiot!"_**

 ** _"How long until everybody gets sick of me?"_**

 ** _"How long until they see they're better without me?"_**

"This is Koushiro-kun?" Jyou felt his heart ache. That could not be right. Koushiro could not have had those depressing thoughts all along, while he showed Jyou and everybody else a person full of joy; he was someone who saw wonder in everything. He was happy… he had to be! He was a happy and curious kid, right?

 ** _"You annoyed Jyou-san again!"_** Koushiro's voice began again. That dry affirmation made the sixth grader gulp.

 ** _"You're so stupid! Koushiro, you're so stupid!"_**

 ** _"Jyou-san is losing his patience again!"_**

 ** _"Why do you keep on doing everything wrong?"_**

 ** _"Why do you keep on irritating him?"_**

 ** _"Now you're making him concerned!"_**

 ** _"Why is he concerned?"_**

 ** _"He doesn't… he doesn't actually like me, does he?"_**

"What the…?" Jyou let out. Koushiro believed that he was disliked by him? How could he think that? Did Jyou not always do his best to help the smaller boy out? The younger child should not be able to misread his intentions to that extent, right?

 ** _"He despises you, Koushiro!"_**

 ** _"But he's so kind…"_**

 ** _"Out of obligation!"_**

 ** _"Of duty!"_**

 ** _"If it wasn't for that…"_**

 ** _"If it wasn't for your mother asking him to take care of you…"_**

 ** _"If Jyou-san didn't have such a big sense of responsibility…"_**

 ** _"He would be happy to get rid of you!"_**

"That's not true!" Jyou yelled. He could listen to the fast pounds of his own heart. "I care for Koushiro-kun! I want to protect him! How can he not understand that?"

"Jyou, this could be a trick!" Gomamon told his partner.

It would be good to believe in that, but something buried deep into Jyou's heart disagreed. It was like a little part of him protesting against the world view the boy put so much effort in maintaining. And when that part of him could not be heard, it found other ways to alert the sixth grader.

 _"It's alright," "I'm feeling great," "There's no need for you to worry about me," "Don't worry about that."_ Jyou remembered how often Koushiro said those things. But when he showed the older boy a little smile, did his lips not tremble subtly? Was not there an almost unnoticeable spasm on his cheeks? Did his voice not sound too low? And he looked so pale… Jyou had seen all that but he pretended he did not. He pretended to believe in Koushiro's weak excuses. But the twelve years old child felt his own body react against that. The cold feeling in his gut… the anger for not understanding Koushiro… the frustration over how different the other child was. Jyou knew. He had known all along. And yet he had refused to acknowledge that reality.

"I… I've never helped him at all, have I?" He felt like he was drowning in his own shame and closed his eyes fiercely. "Everything I ever did was to hurt Koushiro-kun further… he never complained… but I knew that there was something wrong! I knew it and I chose to ignore it! How could I? I'm so disgusting!"

"Jyou…" Gomamon could not think in anything to make his partner feel better. Even with his eyes closed, Jyou's tears made their way out and soaked his cheeks and chin. The boy's shaking was no longer the result of anger, and that realization saddened Gomamon even more.

 ** _"I have to think about the other younger children under my care!"_**

"Jyou's voice?!" Gomamon was startled, looking around. Jyou opened his eyes, in shock.

"Those are my thoughts… my thoughts from when…" The boy recognized what he had listened.

 ** _"It's true that Koushiro-kun is smart… although he's always researching pointless stuff online. He doesn't put nearly as much effort in his studies as I do… and yet he gets the crest of knowledge…"_**

 ** _"Koushiro-kun is ten! Sure, he knows about computers but… he can't possibly be knowledgeable enough to assist anyone in a project like that!"_**

"Am I… am I really like that?" Jyou asked nobody specifically. Did his thoughts regarding Koushiro always have that streak of jealousy? But it could not be right! Jyou was not like that… he was… was he actually a mean spirited person?

"Would you like to listen to the words you spoke?" Fate asked. Right after that, Jyou's voice came from all directions even louder than before:

 ** _"You need to become more mature! Otherwise you'll become one of those carefree guys who contribute nothing to society."_**

 ** _"Why is it so hard for you to learn better manners? Everybody talks about how smart you are."_**

 ** _"YOU ARE AT THE TOP OF YOUR CLASS AND YOU DON'T STUDY?! Good grades should be the result of hard work! You are telling me that you get them with no effort?! You can fool around every day and just study at the last minute and you still manage to get better results than dedicated students?"_**

 ** _"This is so wrong! It's unjust! He should be ashamed of himself!"_**

"I'm sorry!" Jyou cried. "Koushiro-kun, I-I'm so sorry! I didn't know… I never imagined how my words were affecting you… I never wished for you to get hurt!"

 ** _"Let's think about this logically. If this Homeostasis possessed Tentomon, he probably has killed Koushiro-kun already. And if it possessed Koushiro-kun, it's dangerous to even approach him!"_**

The sixth grader took a step back after hearing that. What was the Spirit of the World trying to imply? The boy had not suggested leaving Koushiro behind back then because he wanted the other child to die! But what if Koushiro… what if Koushiro thought that Jyou's actions were actually motivated by the older boy supposedly desiring to get rid of him? The things Koushiro had told him in Wisemon's carriage were now making so much more sense! _"We are alone now, Jyou-san. You can just say what you really want to say. I promise I won't tell anyone."_ Koushiro believed that Jyou helped him just out of obligation and deep down despised him! And Jyou let that happen. It was all his fault! What kind of horrible person does that? _Despicable… I'm so…_

"Stop that!" Gomamon shouted. He could not bear to see Jyou's horror at himself enveloping him. "Jyou isn't a bad person at all! He might make mistakes but-"

 ** _"I did what I thought was right."_** The human's voice echoed in the cave again.

 ** _"Do you think I'm not capable of helping you? I see. After all, you're so knowledgeable, right? The super intelligent Koushiro-kun who doesn't even need to study to get good grades surely doesn't need help from someone like me, isn't that right?"_**

"What's your point?" Jyou asked in a weak voice, keeping his eyes on the ground. "I get it! I already know that I'm awful! I know that I don't deserve anything good! What do you still want to prove to me?! Isn't this enough? Am I… am I even more horrid than this?"

"JYOU!" Gomamon's voice finally reached the human. Jyou looked to his friend and saw how the digimon's round eyes shone with concern. Gomamon spoke with a ferocious voice:

"Jyou, stop being stupid! Are you really going to let that thing manipulate you?"

"Manipulate me?" Jyou repeated in low voice.

"It's true that you can be insensitive sometimes." Gomamon admitted. "And it seems that you have some jealousy issues you need to work on. So what? That's perfectly normal! Do you think I don't feel jealous at times? I mean, come on! I'm not very useful in my child form and I'm not great at giving advice or being sensitive! But I don't let that get me down! That's not a reason for you to beat yourself up either!"

"But the things I've said to Koushiro-kun…" Jyou protested. "I caused him so much pain…"

"There's nothing you can do about that now!" Gomamon interjected. "Feeling bad about it won't help anyone, especially Koushiro! While you're here lamenting your mistakes, the Spirit of the World might be harming him in some way!"

Gomamon's words hit him like lightning. He was right! What was Jyou doing, wasting time like that? Koushiro was in danger _! I need to help him! I promised his mother…_ _no… this behavior… acting as if he was nothing more than a responsibility is what hurt Koushiro-kun so much! I've distanced myself from him, trying to be a role model, trying to dictate how he should live his life, trying to be like a grown-up… maybe that was a coping mechanism. I felt inferior to him. He learned things so fast… everybody praised his intelligence… I let my insecurities take me over and lost sight of what was important. I don't want to be like that anymore!_

Gray light came from their backs. Jyou and Gomamon turned around and saw the crest of honesty shrinking. The now little stone flew in the direction of the child's digivice and was absorbed by it. Gomamon felt energy filling him.

"Gomamon evolves to… IKKAKUMON!"

"Let's go, Ikkakumon!" Jyou had determination in his voice. "Let's go save Koushiro-kun!"

"Not so fast!" Fate forbade them. The image of Mimi appeared at the opening on the wall, where the crest used to be. "I applaud you for overcoming your weakness and getting your crest, Kido Jyou. Nevertheless, I can't allow you to go to where Izumi Koushiro is right now."

"Why not?" Jyou demanded.

"That child has his own darkness to deal with. He must face his self-loathing on his own and overcome it."

"Are you saying that everything you did was a test?!" Ikkakumon inquired.

"I might have difficulty in controlling lesser life forms with precision but I can certainly bring them death if I desire. If I truly wanted to kill that child, he wouldn't be breathing anymore. I'm giving him a chance to become something better. But if Izumi Koushiro doesn't get over his destructive feelings, he won't be of help to the chosen children in your mission to protect the Digital World." Fate explained. "In that case, it's better for him to die now than to become a burden later."

Jyou could not believe in what he was hearing.

"Who do you think you are to decide that?" The human questioned. "People's lives should not be valued by how useful they are! Life is a right by itself!"

"Izumi Koushiro values himself for what he can do for others." The Spirit of the World told Jyou. "For him, death is better than being a burden. I'm doing nothing that goes against his wishes."

"If that's the case, then I'll help Koushiro-kun to overcome that side of himself." Jyou promised. "I'll certainly… if I put my whole heart into it, I'll certainly be able to help him!"

"You can't help him." Fate conveyed coldness in Mimi's voice. "In all the billions of years that I've existed I've come to a conclusion: you can only help yourself. You can cooperate with others for greater causes. You can share as many things as you like. However, in the end, you are all strangers to one another. Everybody is essentially alone. Do you understand, Kido Jyou?" Mimi's figure walked in his direction, smiling. The image stopped two steps in his front. "You can't save Koushiro."

At that moment, Jyou had become sure of one thing: if Fate had taken Mimi's form intending to discourage him, the entity had made a terrible mistake. That was because, when Jyou looked at the face of the girl, he remembered something she had told him once. Something that would change him forever.

"I CAN DO WHATEVER THE HELL I WANT!" Jyou stated.

He and Ikkakumon ran, passing the image of Mimi and heading to the opening on the wall. The distorted voice from earlier returned and said one last thing to them:

"Let's see if you can _live_ up to your words."

Koushiro had awakened some time before Jyou had gotten his crest.

The boy opened his eyes and found many heavy-looking rocks floating twenty meters above him. They had different sizes and shapes; the smallest one he could spot should not have been less than three meters in diameter. The uncountable rocks filled almost the entire sky, with few narrow breaches.

He moved his head to his left, slowly, and saw his arm stretched on a brown rocky ground. There was a wound on his flesh that was being closed. Instead of pain, he felt a warm sensation at the spot. There seemed to be a depression under his arm. He moved his head to face the other side and noticed a depression under his right arm as well. Thirty centimeters from his reach, he found his laptop inside the open backpack.

The child sat up, slowly. The pain in his body was diminishing and the warm sensation spreading. Koushiro stretched himself to pick up his laptop. The object seemed to be as good as new. The boy properly put it inside the backpack and put its straps over his shoulders. After that, he attempted to stand up. He almost fell but was able to stay on his feet, barely. The kid looked around. There was no sight of the bag of scanners Wisemon had given him.

The fourth grader glanced at where he had been lying and noticed a depression on the ground of the shape of his body. It seemed that the boy had hit the ground at full force. Nevertheless, there was no trace of blood on it or on his clothes.

"The healing water…" Koushiro murmured to nobody.

"Quite the inconvenience, isn't it?" The female voice he came to know too well whispered in his left ear. He jumped to his right by reflex. And he saw them.

The beautiful woman with long red hair until her waist and black eyes, wearing a yellow summer dress and the man with spiky black hair and deep black eyes, wearing jeans and a purple polo shirt.

"It's… so unfair…" The woman sounded as if she could begin to cry at any moment. "We were so close to having our baby back. But your body began to fix itself all of a sudden! After all that we did, why couldn't you just die for us?"

"Die for you…" Koushiro shivered as he pronounced those words. He saw the man put his right hand on the woman's shoulder to comfort her.

"My love, maybe we were taking the wrong approach to the problem." He said. "Instead of pushing him, we should've waited for Koushiro to join us by his own volition."

"My own volition?!" Koushiro refused to take that in. "That's not going to happen! I don't want to die!"

The couple looked at him with what the boy believed to be pity.

"Haven't you accepted the truth yet?" The woman asked.

"What truth?" The kid did not really want an answer for that question.

The couple took a step in his direction. The child took two steps back.

"The Great Spirit only gives people what they want." The woman said.

 _Great Spirit? Isn't that how Elecmon called…_

"The Great Spirit brought us to this world to meet you once again." The man spoke with a large smile on his lips. He let go of the woman's shoulder and walked two steps in the kid's direction. "If you can see and hear us, it means that you want to be with us."

Koushiro took three steps back and found a wall behind him. He glanced around and saw that the same wall, that should not be higher than fifteen meters, made a full circumference around him. At his opposite direction, in a distance of at least thirty meters, there seemed to be a block integrated into the rock that had a different color: gray instead of brown. The child believed himself to be in a hole in the bottom of the canyon and saw no way of escaping on his own. If the rocks floating above were to fall, he would be buried alive.

"It shows me what I want to see… what I want to hear…" Koushiro thought aloud. Could it be that the Spirit of the World was real? He remembered the distorted reflection he had seen in the water of the well: the child with curly black hair and light brown eyes; the one with features similar to his adoptive mother and the voice similar to his adoptive father.

"We know how much you wished you could be their real son." The woman had an understanding voice. "You wished for that so strongly that Fate took the form of what you wanted to be."

 _"Fate takes on different forms and uses different words depending on the person."_ Koushiro recalled Elecmon telling him that.

 _"This is what your heart truly desires." "No matter how much you tried, you could never fit in. You never saw yourself belonging with them."_

The voice had told him that. Were those things he wanted to hear?

"You will never belong with the Izumis." The man said. "You'll never feel like you're similar to them or anyone else."

 _"I thought that if I loved soccer, I would have that in common with my father. I wished I could be similar to my parents in some way."_ He had told Sora that not long ago. Koushiro wanted to be similar to his parents. He wanted to feel that he was their son but he could not bring himself to truly feel like that. The more he chased the sensation, the more it slipped away from him. He was alone. Nothing he did was capable of filling the void in his heart. The crushing solitude suffocated him. He was so different from everybody else. Among all the people he knew, he stood out like a sore thumb. He could never connect to anyone… not really. It was foolish to believe in that.

"Look at us, Koushiro." The woman asked, gently. "Take a good look at us. What do you feel?"

"I…" The boy hesitated but examined their features with attention. He recognized his chin and eyebrows in the man, and his eyes and his smile in the woman. Both of them looked like him so much. That feeling was strange and he did not know how to classify it. They had proved they were not a product of his imagination. But could they really be his parents?

"You could be a trick." The child's skepticism was weaker than ever. He looked down. "Maybe the Spirit of the World is trying to kill me… maybe that deity is tormenting me by using you..."

"An entity as old as time, said to have created the Digital World, is trying to kill you? For what purpose?" The man questioned.

"I don't… I don't know…" Koushiro replied, gulping. It did not make sense for an almighty being like the one Elecmon had described to try to murder a random human child like him. Back in the well, the voice had said that it needed to borrow his body, while constantly reiterating that Koushiro was the one who wanted to die. Could it be true that he really wanted that fate? _I was the first one to leave the tree shielding us from the gear rain… I trusted the clown doll that Tentomon believed to be scary… I put my head in a portal to the factory dimension without hesitating… I let Homeostasis inside me and when I hurt the others I felt so guilty… so guilty… I wanted to… and when Tamaki-san appeared…_

 _"How about, for a change, you don't head straight to something potentially dangerous?"_ Jyou had scolded him. He had done that so many times but Koushiro never learned. Why? Why was he always putting himself in danger? Why did he have so little care for his own well-being?

"You need to accept the truth, son." The woman told him. "You are self-destructive."

"It can't… I can't…" Koushiro did not even know if he was still talking or only thinking.

"There's no place for you in the life you've been living." The man affirmed. "You feel dislocated, different from everybody, alone."

"Alone…" Koushiro repeated.

"You cause so much trouble to others." The woman added.

"But they care for me…" The child tried to protest. "They fought for me… they worry about me… Tentomon even… in the factory, he-"

"Tentomon ditched you when you became too much of a problem." The man interrupted.

Koushiro felt his eyes getting filled with tears. He could not articulate any response to that and only denied the affirmation by moving his head, slowly. Or was he trying to deny the reality? Was he trying to hide from the pain? Like always. Fruitlessly.

"The first friend you trusted with your true self; the one you believed would accept you wholeheartedly, the friend who promised to be always by your side! Even him you drove away." The woman said.

The tears streamed down, washing his cheeks. His body trembled.

 _"With you by my side, I'm not so afraid of the unknown. If it's not too much to ask, please keep on teaching me." "I'll always support you."_

Koushiro leaned against the wall at his back and let his body slide down, until he sat on the ground.

 _"Please, listen! You're the only one I can talk about this… and I need to… I'm s-so scared…" "There's nothing to be scared about, Koushiro-han! You just thought that you had heard something and then fell-" "Why are you doing this?! Why are you not listening to what I'm telling you? Didn't you want me to open up to you before, back in the factory? I thought-" "Koushiro-han! You would never jump! You would never do that to yourself! So let's stop with this nonsensical conversation!"_

"That agony will never stop for as long as you live." The man whispered, sitting in front of the boy, who looked up to him. "Nobody will ever share that burden with you."

The woman kneeled on the ground, next to the man. She caressed the boy's face, murmuring:

"But you don't need to be alone anymore. You can be with us now."

 _I don't have to be alone… I… won't have to feel this anymore…_

The child glanced down and saw the woman offering her right hand to him.

If he took that hand, would everything be over?

Before he could move, a scream cut the air:

"KOUSHIRO-KUN!"

Koushiro lifted his eyes and saw Jyou and Ikkakumon running in his direction. The younger boy stood up. The ghosts stood up as well, staying in front of him. But there was enough space between them for Jyou to step in and grab the younger boy by the shoulders.

"Are you alright?" Jyou asked, with little tears appearing in his eyes. "Gomamon reminded me about the healing liquid but… I was so scared! If you had died…"

"It wouldn't be your fault, Jyou-san." Koushiro tried to comfort the other.

"It's not about it being my fault!" Jyou told him. "I'd be heartbroken if you died, even if I had nothing to do with it!"

The younger boy was taken by surprise. At that moment, the spirit of his mother gently held his right hand and the spirit of his father did the same with his left one. It seemed that neither Jyou nor Ikkakumon could see them by the sides of the older child.

"Koushiro, let's get out of here before those rocks fall!" Ikkakumon had an urgent tone of voice; he was looking up at the floating rocks, anxiously.

"Not so fast!" A male voice spoke. Jyou and Ikkakumon turned around and saw a human child they had never encountered before, wearing a white jacket over jeans pants.

"He looks like Koushiro-kun's parents…" The sixth grader commented, staring at the other's curly hair and brown eyes.

"Who are you supposed to be?" Ikkakumon asked.

"How rude!" The boy chuckled. "I was with you a couple of minutes ago and you already forgot me?"

"The Spirit of the World!" Jyou's angry expression startled Koushiro. "As if it's not enough that you made Koushiro-kun see illusions of his dead parents, now you're trying to emulate his adoptive parents?"

"Jyou-san, how do you-?" Koushiro's horrified expression was not seen by the sixth grader nor his partner.

"I'm sorry." Jyou said, without breaking eye contact with Fate. "I should've learned that from you, Koushiro-kun. If only I had known before…"

"How do you feel about me now, Jyou-san?" Koushiro's voice was so low that he doubted the other could hear him. He was not sure if he wanted a reply. Jyou took lineage so seriously. Blood ties, ancestry, and Koushiro had none of those. He was a child with no past. Someone who clung to a family that was not his. Jyou should be rightfully disappointed at him.

Jyou turned around to face the smaller boy. The older child's face did not show any contempt or anger. Koushiro recognized confusion in that expression. And maybe sadness too.

"Why are you worried about how I feel?" He asked. "How **_you_** feel is a lot more important."

Koushiro could not reply. He did not know how to react. Jyou had spoken with a tenderness that contrasted heavily with his usual pattern. There was so much care in those words. He was not imposing nor demanding anything. Jyou was not judging nor criticizing him. Instead, the older boy was validating Koushiro's feelings with no ulterior motives, with no reminder of an aspect of him that was bothersome. The younger child did not know what he was feeling but it was overwhelming.

"Tentomon told us about your parents, after you fell into the abyss." Ikkakumon informed, glancing back at Koushiro. "He should be here already; he went to look for you before us."

"Did you say that I made Koushiro see illusions, Kido Jyou?" Fate asked, raising an eyebrow. "I admitted that those spirits were my doing but I never said they were illusions." The image of the stranger took three steps forward. It was now less than five meters away from the children and Ikkakumon. "What do you think, Koushiro? Are the man and the woman holding your hands right now your real parents or are they a trick?"

"Don't believe in that guy, Koushiro-kun!" Jyou said, staring at Koushiro with intensity.

The fourth grader glanced at the two adults in his front. They were smiling at him; looking at him with adoration.

"They want me to be with them." The red-haired child muttered, giving Jyou an anguished look. "They don't want to be alone."

"Koushiro-kun, they're not your parents! This is a sick test made by that twisted computer program! That thing is willing to kill you if you fail!"

"Test?" Koushiro asked.

"You have to decide whether you want to live or die." The Spirit of the World said. "Think about it, Koushiro. You can be reunited with your real family and never feel lonely again. You'll never feel like you don't belong. You'll never again bother other people."

"DON'T LET THAT THING FOOL YOU, KOUSHIRO-KUN!" Jyou shouted, grabbing the other's shoulders again. "Come with us! We can save you!"

"Should I… die?" Koushiro asked, weakly.

"What are you…?" Jyou loosened his grip on the boy's shoulders. "They're not you parents! Don't believe in what they say!"

"I don't want to be a problem." Koushiro told the other child, looking down. "All I do is cause trouble to others. I never do anything right… no matter how much I try to get better."

"Koushiro-kun, please, look at me." Jyou asked.

"Don't do that, Jyou-san. Stop forcing yourself to put up with me!"

"I'm not forcing myself to do anything! And I'm not doing this because your mother asked me to look out for you or because I was nominated group leader in the camp! Everything that I'm about to tell you comes from the bottom of my heart!"

"Stop wasting your kindness on me! Leave me alone!"

"I will never do that! Not anymore!" Jyou stated, once again grabbing Koushiro's shoulders fiercely. His determined tone made the younger boy look up to him. Despite his ferocious voice, the older child seemed to be in the verge of crying. "I will never abandon you again! I will never ignore your feelings again! If I ever say something insensitive, please, tell me. I don't want to hurt you ever again!"

"Don't listen to him, Koushiro!" The man said.

"He's going to turn his back to you, just like Tentomon did!" The woman affirmed.

"Jyou-san, you shouldn't make promises like that." Koushiro told him. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into."

"I can make decisions for myself." Jyou had no hesitation.

"Jyou-san, don't I annoy you?" The fourth grader questioned, despite fearing the answer. "Why are you doing all this for someone you don't even like?"

Jyou's lips trembled. He seemed to be pondering his words. With a resigned look, he confessed:

"From the day we met to today, you've annoyed me more than I can remember. I didn't understand your personality at all. And I was so focused on being responsible for you that I don't think I ever looked at you as your own person. You made me feel insecure… and now I realize that I did the same to you. It might be a stretch to say that I liked you but it'd also be incorrect to say that I didn't. The truth is that I never really got to know you, Koushiro-kun. And, until today, I had never put effort in trying to know you. But I think I understand you better now."

"What?" Koushiro asked, softly. Jyou smiled and continued:

"You're very negative and beat yourself up a lot. You don't know your own value and can be very reckless sometimes. I'm more outspoken while you keep everything to yourself but, to tell you the truth, I think we have a lot in common, Koushiro-kun. Because of that, I think that we could help each other, so we don't get overtaken by our own negativity. If you let me… if it's okay for you… I'd like to be your friend from now on."

Koushiro did not speak for a couple of minutes. He felt his eyes getting wet but did not care. It had been so long. He thought he would never hear someone say that. The most wonderful feeling took a hold of his heart and warmth irradiated from it to the boy's entire body. _We have a lot in common_. There was someone who understood; someone similar to him. Koushiro did not have to do anything. Nobody demanded anything from him. Jyou showed himself in his wholeness, wishing for a connection, and only if Koushiro wanted the same thing. He would not be simply a burden, but someone who could help Jyou while receiving help from him.

"I want that." Koushiro said, breaking free from the spirits who had been holding his hands. "I would like to be your friend, Jyou-san."

"You can't!" The woman protested, trying to grab the red-haired kid. But her hands went through him.

"We are your parents!" The man said, trying to hold the boy as well, with no success. "You have to do what we say!"

Koushiro glanced at them and noticed how the spirits were becoming increasingly transparent.

"My parents always tell me to be careful. They want me to stay out of trouble and return home safely." The boy stated. "They would never want me to get hurt. Now that I think about it, I don't believe the people I saw in that memory, who looked at me the same way my parents do, would want that either. I'm not sure about what you are but I don't care. You can't be my parents."

The man and the woman vanished completely, never to return. They no longer would have any power over Izumi Koushiro.

"Not bad." The Spirit of the World smirked. "You kids came a long way today."

"Do you think we're going to accept praising from you after everything you did, you… you…" Jyou turned to face Fate, trying to think in the most offensive insult he knew. "YOU DUMB STINKY FAULTY MACHINE!"

"Jyou, is that the best you can come up with?" Ikkakumon was embarrassed in his partner's place.

The Spirit of the World, nevertheless, laughed.

"Kido Jyou, no matter the universe, you are always hilarious." The entity said while the image of the boy it was using was becoming transparent. "But my favorite child is still to come to this world."

Once the dark-haired "child" had disappeared, the force holding the floating rocks ceased and they descended at full velocity. Ikkakumon ran to his partner, who pulled Koushiro into a protective hug, wanting to somehow shield him from the rocks. _I'm not going to let you get hurt!_

His digivice shone with gray light and Ikkakumon felt a great amount of energy entering his body.

"IKKAKUMON SUPER EVOLVES TO…"

Tentomon had gotten lost in the mist.

No matter how much he tried, he was not able to find his way to the bottom of the abyss.

 _What's going on? Why am I taking this long?_ The insect wondered. He let some sparks out but they were not helping him to see in the thick mist. _Koushiro-han is alone! I don't even know if he's alright! He might be… don't despair! I need to find Koushiro-han! I need to protect him…_

When was he ever able to protect his partner?

 _Don't cry! Crying isn't going to solve anything! Crying isn't going to save Koushiro-han!_

Suddenly, the sound of thousands of heavy objects hitting a surface beneath scared him. The mist finally began to clear and Tentomon was able to see what he thought was the ground, hundreds of meters below.

When Tentomon was only five feet from the ground, he noticed the many different rocks covering it and the dust coming from them. Had they hit the ground? There was no sign of his partner anywhere and the insect's worst fears crashed him down.

"KOUSHIRO-HAN!" The digimon called, the loudest he could, as soon as he had hit the surface. The dust was setting down. "PLEASE, ANSWER ME! KOUSHIRO-HAN!"

 _He can't be… no… please, no… my Koushiro-han…_

Tentomon yelled and punched the rock below him with all his might. He got tired quickly. The air refused to stay in his lungs and his vision became blurred.

"I'm sorry, Koushiro-han!" He cried. "I… I let you…"

The rocks beneath him began to shake. From a few meters on his left, a pile of stones emerged from the ground, as if being kicked up by something below. Tentomon dodged away from the falling rocks and approached the place he figured had originated the disruption. From a large hole in the ground, a huge gray digimon with a shell on his back, a horn on his head, orange fur covering parts of his body and a hammer in his right hand jumped to the outside, landing close to Tentomon. The monster opened his left hand, where Jyou and Koushiro were being kept. The children jumped from the hand and the large digimon, before devolving, said in a weak voice:

"Zudomon."

He became a Pukamon and fell into Jyou's arms. The older boy hugged him tightly and told him how great he had been. Tentomon had his eyes locked on his partner.

The digimon flew in Koushiro's direction and hugged him with all his force.

"How many times am I going to have to go through this?!" Tentomon let his frustration out of his heart, as tears streamed down his face and his body trembled. "I can't take this anymore! I can't stand it! How long do I have…? How long until I lose you for real?"

"What happened wasn't Koushiro-kun's fault." Jyou said. He was behind the other boy and his partner.

"Yeah! The Spirit of the World was making Koushiro see the ghosts of his parents!" Pukamon added, in Jyou's arms.

"The Spirit of the World?" Tentomon asked.

"It seems that Elecmon was right about the Spirit of the World trying to talk to me." Koushiro explained. "That entity has been haunting me since the well. I tried… I really tried to ignore the voices but they wouldn't leave me. And soon I was seeing them as well."

"I was so scared!" Tentomon admitted. "I've been trying to pretend that everything was fine but… my fear only increased! I've been living in a state of panic that only gets worse and worse!"

"I'm sorry, Tentomon." Koushiro muttered, ashamed. "I didn't want to cause you so much distress. I shouldn't have-"

"I've been in panic ever since the factory!" Tentomon interrupted. "Ever since then… even after I evolved… I couldn't do anything to protect you! I've only watched, powerlessly, as you faced a mortal peril after another! At the underground temple, I thought that those golden apples would make me stronger somehow… I was desperate to get stronger and to be able to protect you… but all I got was a horrific nightmare."

"The nightmare?" Koushiro asked. Was his partner finally going to let him know about that dream?

"Everything around us was disappearing… being devoured by whiteness." Tentomon related. "There were many pieces of glass floating and, on the floor, between us, there was the hand mirror you showed me in the temple, with no glass shard left in it."

Koushiro's heart skipped a beat when his partner mentioned the mirror. _He saw that after waking up. How could he have dreamed about it? What does this mean?_

"You were sitting on the floor…" Tentomon continued; his voice was full of anguish. "You smiled at me but you were sad. You told me that everything was going to be okay, and then… the whiteness enveloped you… I tried to hold you, Koushiro-han, I swear! But there was a voice that I didn't know… and it said: _The boy you fight so much to protect will bring himself his own end._ After that, you disappeared… I was left alone in the middle of nothingness."

"That was just a nightmare!" Pukamon tried to make Tentomon feel better. "It doesn't mean anything!"

"Listen, Tentomon." Koushiro had a serious tone; the kid hugged his partner more tightly. "I came to understand that, sometimes, I do things that put myself in danger. I wasn't aware of that part of me. But, trust me, I don't have any intention on getting hurt or worse. I promise you that, from now on, I'll take better care of myself. You don't need to be so scared anymore."

"I still can't protect you…" Tentomon insisted. "I can do nothing… I'm useless…"

"Don't say that about yourself!" Pukamon intervened. "Those things will only become true if you accept them as true!"

"Nothing is gained by drowning in negativity." Jyou pointed out. "Nevertheless, it's good that you're talking about your feelings. That way we can help you."

"I don't deserve that!" Tentomon cried. "After what I did! After I let Koushiro-han-"

"I forgive you!" Koushiro interrupted, in a calm voice.

"B-but-" Tentomon tried to protest.

"I've said already that I forgive you!" The fourth grader reiterated. "You explained what happened and I understand why you acted that way. Furthermore, you regret what you did. I forgive you, Tentomon. Wholeheartedly. Just like I forgive Jyou-san."

Jyou felt his eyes getting wet but did not weep. Instead, he smiled. There was no cold feeling in his gut to tell him otherwise.

"If Koushiro forgives everybody so easily, someone will take advantage of him eventually." Pukamon commented.

"Don't ruin the mood, Pukamon!" Jyou complained.

"Don't talk to me so rudely! I was today's hero, you know?" Pukamon taunted. Their discussion was interrupted by an intense light that burst into being in front of them.

"Tentomon evolves to… Kabuterimon!"

The adult digimon who looked like a wasp extended one of his hands to the red-haired boy.

"Thank you, Koushiro-han." He said. "I promise I will never run again."

"I know." Koushiro replied.

The two humans and Pukamon climbed on Kabuterimon's head and flew away.

"We should look for Wisemon. I lost his scanners." Koushiro sounded guilty.

"Wisemon did absolutely nothing to help us." Pukamon was annoyed. "He just brought us here to do a job in his place and endangered us all. That jerk didn't even tell us that the computer program he had developed was the Spirit of the World!"

"What? Seriously?" Koushiro was very surprised to hear that.

"I agree with Pukamon about not looking for that guy." Jyou said. "After meeting Fate, I'm starting to think that just because someone is older, it doesn't mean that said someone knows what's best."

"That contradicts a lot of the advice you've given me." Koushiro commented.

"Most of that advice was terrible." Jyou admitted. "You'll be a lot happier just by being yourself."

"What if I annoy someone?" Koushiro asked. The other smiled at him and replied:

"Although it's good to do your best to be considerate, you shouldn't do that to an extent in which you butcher your own personality. In fact, you shouldn't make yourself miserable to please others. I apologize for taking so long to understand that."

Koushiro put an immense grin on his face. Jyou noticed the younger child's eyes getting wet but was not worried about it.

"Thank you, Jyou-san." Koushiro said.

Meanwhile, in his carriage, Wisemon was watching the children and their partners through an object he kept inside a bubble. He was sitting on an armchair, sustaining the floating bubble with his right hand and a cup of tea with his left one.

"I can tell that you're watching me now." The digimon spoke in a loud and deep voice. There was no point in forcing it to sound high-pitched anymore. "You haven't tried to threaten me yet. But that's not even the thing that surprised me the most. Tell me, since when have you been on board with psychologically tormenting the chosen children? It seems that your _sense of decency_ has rotted away as you've gotten older. Such a shame."

Wisemon was no longer interested in watching the chosen children. He was about to wave his hand and make the bubble go back to where he kept his most protected treasures.

"I'm excited for what the future has stored for us. I wonder if you feel the same, dear rebellious _child_."

He glanced at the unbroken white hand mirror with a pearl at its top for one last time, before the bubble in which it was being kept disappeared.

 **Thank you for the reviews. :)**


	17. Heaven sent

"That creature burned itself down and from its own ashes resurged. No matter how many tried to destroy it, it would always be reborn."

 **Chapter 17: Heaven sent**

Sora opened her eyes and found herself sitting on a chair; her upper body was leaning on a desk. The girl had no memory of how she had gotten to that place.

She looked at her arms, extended in front of her, on the desk. Her digivice was being tightly held in her right hand. The human stood up, pushing away the chair and glancing down. Her clothes were wet, which explained why she felt so cold. In the middle of her chest, there were small ice crystals that, together, had the shape of a hand. The girl was still wearing sneakers.

The child put her digivice on her belt and lowered her body, to better examine her shoes. There were small flower petals stuck in their soles: white, orange and red ones. The fifth grader then examined her gloves and noticed little cuts in their palms.

Sora stood up and looked at her surroundings. Even though the only illumination came from a faint red light from the window, it was possible to discern a few elements of that place.

Beside the desk, across from the window, there was a wardrobe that fairly resembled the one Sora had in her bedroom. In fact, the space she was in was almost identical to her bedroom, except for a few details. There was no sign of the soccer ball she kept in a corner of the room and all of her books were gone. Wondering if she would find a futon inside the wardrobe, Sora opened it and found someone staring back at her.

Someone with hair of fire.

Inside the wardrobe, there was a mirror bigger than the girl, covering the furniture's back wall. In front of it, Sora's soccer uniform was hung. On the base of the wardrobe, Sora saw a familiar hairclip that had the shape of a nadeshiko flower. She recognized the object from her early childhood: in her first day in kindergarten, her Mother had styled her hair using that clip. The woman had told the child that her orange hair was as beautiful as her Grandmother's, who Sora had never met.

That was the only time when the kid used a hairclip. From the following day on, she decided to wear hats. Her Mother disapproved of the idea and inquired if something had happened. Sora never explained her reasons. As the girl was informed by her classmates, her hair was not beautiful at all and her reddish eyes made her appearance worse. The woman should have known that. And yet she lied to her daughter.

The girl quickly closed the wardrobe, shaking. Those unpleasant memories were things she would rather expel from her mind. She marched to the window, opened it and took a look outside. All she could see was a dark sky and a weak red light coming from above. There was also a fierce wind that sounded like a cry.

She closed the window so fiercely that almost broke its glass. Then, she walked backwards, finding the bedroom's door through touch. Sora rushed to the other side and found a badly illuminated corridor. The light in the ceiling was flickering and barely allowed the fifth grader to see around her.

"Where am I?" Sora asked aloud. How did she get to that place? Could that be her apartment? It did not feel like her home. Was that a dream, perhaps? The girl leaned against a wall and tried to recollect her recent memories. Confused flashes appeared in her mind: a large mass of strange dark matter, Koushiro stretching his right arm in her direction with a horrified expression… Birdramon was there… then, everything became pitch-black.

"What happened? Where was I?" Sora rubbed her forehead with the points of her fingers. "From the beginning! What happened?"

Statics noise caught her attention. Slowly, Sora walked down the corridor and arrived at the living room. Unlike the one in her home, there was no furniture in the place. There was, however, a television in the middle of the room, on the floor. The scent of flowers invaded her nostrils and made the girl have goosebumps. If it was really the living room of her apartment, there should be some of her mother's flower arrangements around. Sora saw nothing but the television in that place, maybe because of the darkness. But the scent of flowers was getting stronger. Just like the presence of her mother.

"Absurd!" The girl dismissed her feeling. Takenouchi Toshiko could not possibly be there. If Sora was not dreaming, that place was certainly part of the Digital World. Her mother would not follow the girl there. The fifth grader stared at the television screen, which showed nothing more than distortions. She had seen a TV like that before, but not in her home. It was in Homura-san's base.

The interior of the base resembled a lot a traditional Japanese residence. The floor was completely covered by tatame, there were traditional paintings hanging on a wall in every room, along with a commode with twelve drawers. In each room, there was at least one ornamental plant, like bonsais. Some rooms had small tables with pillows surrounding them, and a sweet scent of incense could be felt everywhere.

Mimi had gone with Tanemon to a room, to change back to her old clothes. Homura had guided the girl and offered spare kimonos she kept in the drawers, but Mimi did not indulge in long conversations with the older woman. Sora assumed that the fourth grader was still bothered by the adult's violent inclinations. The younger girl asked to be left alone with Tanemon; Sora and Takeru agreed. Homura had said that she wanted to change to more comfortable clothes and assured the children that they could go anywhere they wanted, including a bathroom in the end of the main corridor and a kitchen three turns to the left.

Takeru wanted to go back to the first room, where the sliding door that served as the base's entrance was located. There were no pillows there to sit but the boy did not mind. Carrying Tokomon, the little human approached the commode next to a painting of a green hill; over the furniture there was a plate and an old sake set, with a jar and three cups.

 _"My Grandmother has one like this."_ The blond child commented, pointing to the sake set. _"She lives in Shimane and is not a fan of new technologies."_

Sora noticed how Takeru's expression softened while he remembered his Grandmother. The girl's grandparents had been deceased since before she was born, so she did not know how it felt to have one. Not desiring to let a topic that brought Takeru good memories die, she decided to engage in the subject.

 _"My Mother appreciates tradition too."_ She tried to imprint a pleasant tone to her voice. _"She likes to work on her flower arrangements while wearing kimonos. She's an Ikebana Master. My Father is a researcher specialized in Japanese culture. He works in the University of Kyoto."_

 _"Are your parents divorced?"_ Takeru asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

 _"No, they're still married."_ Sora answered. _"He doesn't come home often, though."_

 _"But your family is together and happy despite that. You're very lucky, Sora-san!"_

Takeru's big smile made her heart feel tight. Sora made sure to smile back to him the best she could. Nevertheless, she felt a pair of eyes on her and turned to her right, where she found Piyomon observing her quietly.

 _"Is there anything wrong?"_ The girl asked, concerned.

Piyomon deviated her eyes from Sora to Tokomon.

 _"How much do you remember?"_ The question of the bird digimon came in low voice. The older child had the impression that her partner was avoiding a different subject.

Tokomon stayed silent for a few seconds, with an apprehensive look on his face. When he replied, his voice came out sorrowful:

 _"I remember too much."_

Takeru's eyes became filled with tears and he hugged his partner.

Tokomon seemed to want to say something but stayed silent, shutting his eyes forcefully, as if he was in pain.

Sora hated to see Takeru like that. She felt as if little knives pierced her heart whenever the little boy showed that face.

In the present, another memory flashed in Sora's mind. Takeru was looking at her with tearful eyes. All the children were in a room with ten futons.

 _"I can go too!"_ He stated. _"You can't leave me behind!"_

 _"We agreed that we would have two people and two digimon per team. Each child would wear an earplug: one connected to the base and the other to keep in contact with the other group. And each team should have one perfect level digimon."_ Mimi tried to reason with Takeru. _"Lilymon is the most suited to retrieve that thing. She can fly into small spaces and her hands are able to operate the container."_

 _"Zudomon is well suited for battle, I believe. It just makes sense that the two of us should be on the team that will venture after Nanomon."_ Jyou explained. _"Sora-kun can't go with Mimi-kun, so-"_

 _"Sora-san should be the one to stay behind! That'd be even safer for her!"_ Takeru interrupted. _"Either to support Jyou-san in battle or to assist Mimi-san to retrieve the orb, Angemon and I-"_

 _"Your digimon is still a Tokomon, Takeru."_ Tanemon told him.

 _"He's in the same level of you and Pukamon!"_ Takeru protested.

 _"But it's simpler for us to evolve. We just need to rest and eat and-"_ Pukamon tried to explain.

 _"And why can't Tokomon do the same?!"_ The younger boy was losing his patience. _"Are you forgetting that if it wasn't for Angemon, you would have-"_

 _"It has been only one day since your partner died, Takeru-kun."_ Sora interrupted. She hated to be the one to remind Takeru of that, but the girl had to do something to make sure that the youngest child would be safe in the base. _"Nobody here is looking down on your strength. We just think that Tokomon needs a little more time before going back to action."_

Those words made Takeru stop arguing. He gave a guilty look at his partner, sat by his side, who merely sustained a sad glance.

 _"But I don't want Sora-san to…"_ The youngest child murmured, without looking up. Sora put a hand on his left shoulder and tried to comfort him:

 _"There's no reason for you to worry. I promise you I'll be completely safe."_

 _Wait! Something had happened before that!_ Sora thought, coming back to the present. _While Takeru-kun and I were talking about our families alone, Mimi-chan had come to meet us._

 _"SORA-SAN! TAKERU-KUN!"_ Mimi came running through the corridor, entering the room in full speed and stopping suddenly. Tanemon followed the fourth grader the best she could. The younger girl had an expression of pure terror in her crying face.

 _"Tonosamageckomon… in the television…"_ Mimi was not able to articulate her message.

 _"The Mayor of Aurora Town has been murdered. Babamon is speaking to the press right now."_ Tanemon said.

Sora had felt as if all air had left her lungs. Mechanically, she followed the other children and digimon to the room where Mimi had changed her clothes. There, a small television was on a short table.

Babamon was speaking from the Mayor's office to a group of digimon holding microphones and cameras:

 _"It is with deep sadness that I must inform you that Mayor Tonosamageckomon has passed away."_ She looked down, covering her mouth with her trembling hands. _"I don't know how it happened… I didn't see the assailant… when I realized it, my dear friend was agonizing in my arms…"_

Babamon sobbed and covered her face with her hands.

At Sora's left, Mimi stared at the screen in absolute horror.

 _"Vice-Mayor!"_ A digimon who resembled a small frog with a cornet called Babamon. _"Do you think it was a coincidence that the assassination happened in the same day the chosen children came to Aurora Town?"_

 _"What the…"_ Takeru gasped, at Sora's right, holding Tokomon. _"They're not trying to blame us for that, right?"_

 _"We're conducting an investigation to ascertain that."_ Babamon answered. _"We all saw the chosen children with Etemon, known follower of the Queen who was in the middle of the explosion… it's certainly something we must check."_

 _"Is it just me or she doesn't seem very upset?"_ Takeru asked.

 _"There aren't even tears in her eyes."_ Tanemon commented, darkly.

 _"She did it."_ Mimi murmured. Her eyebrows contracted and the girl began to tremble. _"Babamon killed him, didn't she?"_

 _"Mimi-chan, you shouldn't accuse someone without-"_ Sora tried to calm the girl down.

 _"And now she's trying to subtly put the blame on us!"_ Takeru added.

 _"Takeru-kun, hold on!"_ Sora was becoming more nervous. _"Should we really be jumping to conclusions?"_

 _"I believe they're right about Babamon being the perpetrator."_ Homura's voice suddenly came from behind them. When Sora turned around, she saw the woman standing by the sliding door. The adult was wearing a white kimono with stamps of cherry tree branches; her long black hair reached her waist. The woman's serious eyes and elegant figure reminded Sora of Toshiko, which was a disturbing feeling.

 _"What do you mean?"_ Mimi asked in low voice, not turning around to face the adult. Sora glanced at the girl in her left in concern.

 _"I've known Babamon for as long as I have lived in Aurora Town."_ Homura spoke in a cold voice. _"She's been ideologically linked to the Uppertown since as long as anyone can remember and anyone smart should've guessed that she could never be loyal to someone from the Downtown. Tonosamageckomon's naivety is precisely what caused his-"_

 _"Are you blaming him for his own death?!"_ Mimi interrupted, turning around. Her furious expression scared Sora. _"He just wanted to bring all the citizens together! He wanted the best for the town!"_

 _"He was an idealistic fool."_ Homura remarked.

 _"You criticize him for trusting someone from the Uppertown but isn't that the part of the city most aligned with the Academy?"_ Takeru inquired. _"Your friend, Kanda-san-"_

 _"Kanda-kun hasn't been anyone's friend since he started calling himself Gennai."_ Homura cut off the boy. _"I don't sympathize with the Academy. I only help when the greater good is at stake."_

 _"For you the greater good is the murder of digimon."_ Mimi's voice was uncharacteristically cold.

Homura smirked.

 _"Do you still judge me, kid?"_ The adult asked. _"After what Babamon did to the Mayor, I hoped you had understood that some digimon deserve to die."_

 _"I… I don't…"_ Mimi hesitated.

 _"So you want Babamon to get away with assassination?"_ Homura insisted. _"Don't you want her to be punished?"_

 _"Can you calm down, please?"_ Sora attempted to make the atmosphere less explosive. _"We don't know for sure if Babamon really did that!"_

 _"But if she is guilty, what do you think should happen to her, Sora-san_?" Takeru inquired, staring at her with intensity.

Before Sora could think on a reply, the televised transmission caught their attention once more.

 _"This just in!"_ A digimon journalist who resembled a mushroom said, listening to something from a device in the ear. _"We have information that a Kabuterimon was captured in Downtown, with two human children and a Pukamon! It seems to be the work of a mob!"_

 _"Please, listen, everyone!"_ Babamon uncovered her face and stared at a camera. _"It's extremely probable that the chosen children have murdered our beloved Mayor and that they might be planning something terrible for this city, but please don't lose your heads! Bring them to the Police Station and I assure you that the truth will come out!"_

 _"It's Jyou-san and Koushiro-san!"_ Takeru was alarmed.

" _The truth will come out_ …" Homura spoke with disgust. _"Knowing this town's Police, those children will be made to confess whatever Babamon wants."_

The implied meaning behind that sentence made Sora's heart beat rapidly. Without a plan, she rushed to the corridor, heading to the room where the entrance to the base was located. Piyomon managed to fly above the girl's head and block her path.

 _"They're in danger! Out of my way!"_ Sora yelled.

 _"The base is not materialized in that dimension right now."_ Homura pointed out from behind the children.

 _"Materialize the base, then!"_ Takeru urged Homura.

 _"Jyou-san and Koushiro-kun… if anything happens to them…"_ Mimi murmured in a scared voice.

 _"They have Tentomon and Gomamon! They're going to be okay!"_ Piyomon tried to calm the others down.

 _"The reporter talked about a Pukamon!"_ Tanemon recalled, next to her partner's feet. _"Jyou must've found and activated his crest as well!"_

 _"If they have a digimon who can evolve to perfect level by their side, that's another reason for us to calm down."_ Tokomon said.

 _"That's true…"_ Sora whispered, taking a deep breath. Her heart took some minutes to return to its usual rhythm. The mere thought of someone harming any of the other children was enough to set her spirit in fire.

The sliding door in the entrance of the base was suddenly opened and a tall figure covered by a brown hooded robe walked in, followed by Jyou, Koushiro, Tentomon and Pukamon.

Mimi ran in the direction of the boys and hugged them. Tanemon followed her.

Sora, Piyomon and Takeru holding Tokomon went to check if their friends were unharmed, sighing in relief at the realization that they were unscratched. Their embarrassed faces due to Mimi's show of affection were entertaining.

Homura did not seem surprised by the man's presence. He lifted the hood, showing his jovial face to everybody. His small red eyes captured Sora's attention.

 _"It was fortunate that I arrived just in time in this town. I was able to recover the boys and their partners right before an angry mob did them harm. 'Academy' still is a name that fills many hearts with fear."_ He smirked. _"I hope you don't mind that I connected my travel base to yours, Homura-san."_

 _"You can't pass up the chance to make a dramatic entrance, can you, Kanda-kun?"_ Homura sighed. _"I assume you've heard about the crisis in Aurora Town."_

 _"Of course I have."_ Kanda confirmed. _"But we have more urgent matters right now. I have located the crest of love."_

 _Right, Kanda-san! He had come to Homura-san's base!_ Sora was glad she remembered that. _What happened afterwards?_ _He told us about a digimon called Nanomon, who had stolen the crest… and that said digimon was in a pyramid… no, it was two pyramids. He said that he had access to that place's network and determined that there was no sign of traps or of anyone but Nanomon in there… and the crest was inside an orb._

 _"It's an object that has been used to capture digimon since Seraphimon's time."_ Kanda had explained. _"Nobody ever returned from those orbs. I have done experiments on them in the past and determined that, if an object with strong connections with someone was put inside the sphere, the prison would be automatically programmed to target whoever had thought-patterns similar to the ones engraved in the object."_

 _"Ordinary objects don't have strong connections to people. They can't be engraved with thought-patterns, that's absurd!"_ Jyou was skeptical.

Kanda, who was standing in front of the children and opposed to the door in the entrance room, smiled at the older boy, adding:

 _"This is the Digital World. Emotions and thoughts contaminate anything you can imagine. You should've realized that by now. Your crest has already glowed, right?"_

 _"It's true."_ Pukamon commented, floating in Jyou's left. _"Right before I became Zudomon, I could feel a burst of energy coming from Jyou… I could feel his determination and bravery inside my own heart."_

 _"I evolved to perfect level too."_ Tanemon talked from the floor, one step in front of Mimi, who was between Jyou and Koushiro. _"Mimi's emotions rushed into me. I could feel her confidence and her tenacity in me."_

 _"There's something I need to discuss."_ Koushiro spoke suddenly. He was standing between Mimi and Takeru, with Tentomon in his front. The fourth-grader looked into Kanda's eyes and questioned:

 _"Do you know about the Spirit of the World?"_

 _"That's the deity worshipped in Aurora Town."_ Takeru informed the older boy. _"It's believed that-"_

 _"I'm not talking about a mythological being, but the real thing."_ Koushiro interrupted. Sora, who was next to Takeru, had the impression that the fourth grader was forcing himself to talk about an unpleasant subject.

 _"That's just a story."_ Homura said. She had been listening to everything, leaning against a wall by the man's left.

 _"It's not a story!"_ Jyou stated. _"It's a computer program developed by Wisemon!"_

 _"It spoke to us and tried to kill us!"_ Pukamon added.

 _"Do you expect me to believe that a conman like Wisemon created a god?"_ Kanda raised an eyebrow _. "If that was true, wouldn't he be king of the world or something like that?"_

 _"Wisemon said that the program had developed a glitch and was not obeying him anymore."_ Tentomon explained. _"I think he was scared of Fate… for good reasons."_

The insect digimon glanced back at his partner for a moment; that action puzzled Sora.

 _"Does that mean we have another enemy?"_ Takeru questioned, not seeming too fazed. In the boy's arms, Tokomon looked down, with an expression that Sora believed to be of shock.

 _"I don't know what attacked you. But I can assure you kids that there's no such a thing as Fate."_ Kanda spoke in a grave tone that sent chills down Sora's spine. In a matter of seconds, his serious face was taken by a light smile and he returned to the topic he had started discussing right after meeting the children. _"Anyway, I have a plan for you to enter the pyramids and safely retrieve the orb containing the crest of love and capture Nanomon. The orb shouldn't react as long as Sora and her partner don't get close to it."_

 _"Why do you say that?"_ Sora was confused.

 _"Naturally, your digimon partner has a mental connection to you-"_ Kanda had begun to explain.

 _"But why would the orb respond to my thought-patterns?"_ Sora was afraid of the answer.

The man took off one of his gloves and showed the kids and their partners a tattoo that resembled a heart, saying:

 _"Because you are the bearer of love, Sora. Like I was long ago."_

 _Bearer of love?_ Those words still echoed gloomily in the girl's mind. Back to the present, she stared at the television in the dark living room. _How could I be that? It had to be a mistake! Love is the last thing I… I'm the least deserving person to have a crest like that!_

Sora felt her eyes getting more humid but did not have time to cry. She heard a heavy breath behind her and turned around. The corridor's light had gone out completely, but someone's silhouette was visible coming from there. The temperature began to drop quickly, making the girl shake.

The cold air around the silhouette formed a layer of ice on the floor and walls, spreading fast. Sora succumbed to her urge to run. She found her way to the kitchen, opened the door and found another corridor, similar to the one she saw whenever she left her apartment. The girl ran down the familiar stairs. She got to the street and found nobody there. The strong wind almost took her hat but the girl would not let it. The red light was more intense at the outside and Sora finally looked up. The sight terrified her. Across the sky, the drawing Kanda had on his hand was glowing.

"The crest of love?" Sora asked in loud voice. _What's the meaning of this? Why is the crest of love up in the sky?!_

The heavy breath from before had returned. Sora turned around and saw a figure completely covered by a black cloak standing five meters away from her.

"Who are you?" The girl questioned, lifting her arms and positioning them in front of her body. She could feel cold sweat covering her face. The wind hit her front and made it hard for Sora to keep her eyes open. The figure took a step forward, starting to cover the sidewalk with a layer of ice. The fifth-grader ran in the other direction the fastest she could, almost being knocked down by the wind.

The place around her looked like Odaiba but there was nobody else there. The wind was becoming stronger and colder. Its crying sound was getting more terrifying. Tired and scared, Sora entered a place that, in her world, was a bakery.

Instead of the variety of breads the girl knew the place for, what she found in the building were five empty tables, with four seats each, and an empty counter at her left. Sometimes, after soccer training sessions, she would go to that place with Taichi and a few other teammates. At times she convinced Koushiro to stick around as well. Taichi joked that Sora and Koushiro were kindred spirits because they were both redheads.

To think about the fourth grader made Sora feel as if something was squeezing her heart. Was that guilt? But for what reason?

The lights were out in the place. The weak illumination came from the glass door that Sora had just closed and from a large glass window at the other side of the place. That was not the best hiding spot but Sora did not care too much about it. She needed to think. The girl jumped to the other side of the counter, hoping that she would not be easily found there.

 _Think!_ She ordered herself as she hugged her knees against her body. _Why is the crest of love above in the sky? What is this place? The crest was supposed to be in an orb…_

The memory of being dragged by dark matter flashed before her eyes. Trembling, the girl understood her situation.

 _I'm inside the orb, aren't I?_

How could that have happened? Kanda had made a plan to prevent Sora from getting close to the orb. He had access to the network! He knew where she should not go! How did she end in that place?

 _He showed us a map of two pyramids: one on the surface and another underground, upside down. There was no sign of traps. The orb was hidden in the extreme top of the pyramid above and could only be taken by a small flying digimon, who was to put it in a special square container the man had showed us. Nanomon was located in the lowest level of the pyramid below, and Kanda-san had made special handcuffs for him. He told us to eat and rest and that the next day we would go into the pyramids. Jyou-san and I would head towards Nanomon, and Koushiro-kun and Mimi-chan would go after the orb. We convinced Takeru-kun to stay in Homura-san's base. I didn't want him to be at risk. I wanted to protect Takeru-kun…_

 _"Sora-san, we need to talk."_

The memory of Koushiro saying that line distressed her. But Sora could not remember why. She remembered that Kanda had called her and Piyomon to a different room after the general explanation of the plan to the group. There were four pillows on the floor around a round short table. Piyomon had sat at Sora's right and the man across from them. His smile had mostly vanished from his face.

 _"I was very shocked to learn that I was the bearer of the crest of love."_ Kanda told her, glancing down. _"My friends thought it was an obvious fit for me. Of course sweet little Kanda would have that crest, they said. They thought I was a kind person… I certainly tried to be."_

Sora noticed the man's entangled fingers slightly shaking on his lap. He looked up to her. A mix of shame and sadness was visible in his eyes.

 _"If I had to explain it… I think I acted like that because I wanted to be loved. I should've known already that such a thing was impossible."_

 _"Why do you say that?"_ Sora asked, apprehensive about the answer.

 _"I suppose Tamaki-san told you that we all came from the same orphanage."_ Kanda said. _"I was the first one to get there. In a winter night, I was left in a box at that place's door. My Mother or whoever put me there didn't even bother to knock on the door. It was pure luck that I was found before dying of hypothermia."_

Sora stared at the other, astonished. Kanda continued the story:

 _"Whoever my parents were, they certainly didn't love me. I must've been such a problem to them… a hated child for sure. When I was a kid, I didn't think that my Mother probably didn't have financial conditions to raise me. I just internalized that I had been abandoned by the people who were supposed to love me. If they didn't love me… who would? I was afraid of being someone that would never know what love was. But nobody ever noticed that side of me. I made sure to always show a smile to people and to make them feel at ease. I didn't want to make anyone feel what I felt. Somehow, that was mistaken for kindness and I simply never corrected anyone assuming that I was a good person. Although I was tricking everybody… it felt good not be lonely."_

 _"Is that such a bad thing?"_ Sora inquired in low voice. _"To want to be loved?"_

 _"Everybody wants to be loved!"_ Piyomon stated. _"It's the most normal feeling in the world. There's nothing bad about it."_

 _"You're so sweet, Piyomon."_ Kanda said with a soft smile. _"I'm proud for choosing you to be Sora's partner."_

Sora gulped after hearing that. The time for answers had arrived.

 _"You chose us to come to this world, right?"_ The girl inquired. _"To save the Digital World… from all the people on Earth, you chose us five. Why?"_

Kanda studied her for a full minute, replying next:

 _"I wasn't the one who chose you kids."_ He admitted. _"I found your data in the computers of the Academy when I took charge. I selected digimon from the Village of the Beginnings that were compatible with you, designed your digivices and put some basic information about you in their minds."_

 _"We were in the database of the Academy? Why?"_ Sora asked.

 _"You and the other children were in Hikarigaoka in the night of August 3rd of 1995."_ Kanda said. _"I believe that the people from that world refer to the events of that night as Storm of Hikarigaoka. But you know what really happened, right?"_

Sora remembered that. The following days, all the media talked about was the sudden storm that had provoked a calamity in Hikarigaoka. Her Father had even returned home the next day, worried, and stayed until her Mother had organized their move to Odaiba. But Sora had taken a peek at the sky that night, through her window, and she saw something that would never be mentioned on TV. The sky was torn and four creatures surrounded a mass of dark matter.

 _"Our final battle against the Queen took place in the frontier between our worlds. I was on my partner Zhuqiamon as he flew above my former town. We could've crossed… we could've abandoned everything and returned home… but we fought. And then, we stayed in the Digital World for a longer time to fight those who opposed the Academy. Gennai, an artificial human being from the Academy, promised us that we would go back home."_ Kanda's eyes were getting more humid and a twitch in his cheeks distracted the girl. _"But first, the head of the scientific division had an experiment to make. Nanomon wanted to create enhanced copies of us to assure that our partners wouldn't have their power decreased… he created grown up clones that were not able to develop their own consciences… they were like soulless dolls. Then, Nanomon told us he just had to make a through scan of our brains to better develop their artificial intelligences. He told us we'd be alright…"_

Sora got scared when she saw Kanda's face becoming distorted by what she believed to be deep fury. He closed his eyes and took five long breaths, before continuing:

 _"We woke up in these bodies and Nanomon told us that the real chosen children had returned to the human world. A couple of days after that, there was a huge celebration in the main base of the Academy. All the most prominent leaders of the organization had appeared to eat, drink and party over the demise of the Sanctuary. If you ask any of the new recruits, they'll tell you about the great tragedy that took place in that night: a member of the Sanctuary managed to sneak into the main base and poison all those important digimon. 'Gennai,' who had never showed himself publicly before, made that announcement, and accused Nanomon of being a traitor that had helped the Sanctuary. You should've seen me, Sora. I was so convincing I scared myself."_

Sora paled intensively. In Kanda's face, a satisfied grin contrasted to the lifeless of his eyes.

 _"What happened to the real Gennai?"_ Piyomon asked, afraid.

 _"He had a rather gruesome death. Nanomon, on the other hand, ran away before I could get him. And he stayed hidden until today."_ Kanda replied.

 _"You're…"_ Sora was at a loss of words. She was shocked at the revelations, but, strangely, she was not wary of Kanda. There was something about the frankness in his voice. That man, who was full of secrets, had revealed all of that to a little girl like her. Why would anyone in his position do that? The logical conclusion disturbed her more than any detail of his story: Kanda opened up to her because he thought the girl would understand.

 _"I was wrong, Sora."_ The man told her with a sad smile _. "When I saw the reactions of my friends after they realized who I really was, I finally understood the nature of love. It doesn't matter whether you receive it or not. What's important is to love others. You only know that you truly love someone when you see them wronged… and you suffer as if their pain is your own. And you dedicate your life to do them right, even if they despise you… even if you must become the object of their hatred. Hatred is a necessity for us. It's what motivates us… it's the base upon which we mold ourselves to become better. Sweet little Kanda was useless… he couldn't protect anyone he cared about. But the Headmaster of the Academy can make those who harmed my friends suffer."_

 _"How is your relationship with your friends now, Kanda-san?"_ Sora asked in low voice

 _"They saw my true self and rightfully hate me for it. But that's okay. They need to hate me. They need to look at me and say 'I'm not this!' One can't have peace of mind without that. You certainly have a person in your life that you loathe too, Sora."_

 _"Sora is not like you!"_ Piyomon roared, standing up. _"She can't hate anyone! She's a good person!"_

Kanda gave the monster a pitiful look and affirmed:

 _"Good people don't exist. Some are simply better at pretending than others."_

 _Good people don't exist._

That conversation with Kanda was a revelation to Sora. He was someone who fully accepted his flaws and took strength from them instead of being consumed by fear and shame. He did terrible things and he kept going on. Kanda embraced hatred as a vital thing; he made it his weapon and did not care about what other people thought about him. He did not care about being kind but only did what he wanted, for what he believed to be right.

Sora smiled but her insides were freezing.

And then she noticed that the cold was not exclusive to her insides.

Fog came out of her mouth and her body was shaking. Sora stood up and nearly slid on the ice that had formed around her. She did not see anyone there with her. The girl jumped over the counter and, when she looked at the door's direction, noticed a thick layer of ice spreading from there to everywhere. With no other way to run, she headed to the window and forced it open. She jumped it and landed on another deserted street, where the wind was not very strong. Ten meters at her right, Sora saw the cloaked figure standing on a frozen corner.

"WHAT ARE YOU? WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?" Sora inquired, walking backwards to distance herself from the stranger. Was that some kind of jailer? Someone who was already in the orb? Was that possible?

The cloaked individual did not walk in her direction, merely stretching the right arm to the girl. That action triggered the memory of Koushiro doing the same. Sora once again felt the pain in her heart and ran away, for several minutes, entering different streets, until she found an unbelievable sight in the middle of one.

The ground was covered by petals and destroyed flowers of the colors white, orange and red. There seemed to be pieces of pink cloth beneath them. Dozens of flower arrangements were distributed on the street. They had the shape of a human of Sora's size and were wearing pink kimonos with large red ribbons and cherry blossoms details. All of the flower dolls kept their arms down with its extremities made of white flowers touching each other. The "faces" of the dolls were made of white flowers but had two red ones in the place of the "eyes". The "hairs" were made of orange ones; there was a white flower at the back of each "head," as if it was a hairclip.

Those were not Ikebana. Nevertheless, she sensed Toshiko's presence in them.

A memory from the base unfolded before Sora's eyes.

"We discussed the plan…" The girl remembered aloud. "After I talked to Kanda-san… we all had dinner and took baths separately… Homura-san showed us a bedroom with futons… Takeru-kun argued with us, and then… Mimi-chan opened the drawers of a commode and took kimonos out. She probably wanted to change the atmosphere. She pulled me and put that pink kimono with the red ribbon in front of me…"

 _"You would look so beautiful in this, Sora-san! Combining the colors of your hair and eyes with this shade of pink… you'd be so gorgeous that I could cry!"_

 _"Mimi-chan… I don't think this suits me…"_

 _"Of course it suits you! Are you not aware of your natural grace and elegance? You must try this on now!"_

 _"Mimi-chan, I…"_

 _"I think I might have a hairclip in my bag somewhere…"_

"A graceful woman in a kimono…" Sora muttered, approaching one of the flower dolls. "… with her hair styled like…"

Toshiko always used hairclips.

She liked to wear an elegant kimono while working.

She liked to cut her flowers.

 _"You should always wear hairclips. You look so beautiful with them."_

To mold them.

 _"You should wear more feminine clothes."_

To create beauty with her very hands.

 _"You're the daughter of an Ikebana Master! This is not how you should behave!"_

Sora touched the face of one of the flower arrangements with trembling hands. That was a beautiful work, right? The type of thing her Mother would appreciate. Something that could be shaped in any way. A silent and beautiful piece to be admired by everybody. Something the maker would be praised for.

The talented Takenouchi Toshiko, who could bring out the beauty in anything, never failed.

Until she had Sora.

The girl threw the doll on the ground. The noise echoed through the street. The meticulously arranged flowers had moved from their places. All of the work to put them together had been ruined in one single moment. _Pitiful_ , Sora thought, as she stepped over the kimono, tearing and dirtying it. It was so easy to destroy all that. She kneeled on the cloth and began to tear apart all of the remaining flowers. Slowly at first, then with increasing speed and violence. Sora grabbed the flowers and smashed them in her palms.

It felt good. How could that feel so good? That was what her Mother wanted the most! The beautiful thing she wanted to make from her imperfect daughter! But Sora resisted! She threw the hairclip away and covered her hair with hats! She refused the feminine clothes and picked the ones Toshiko liked the least! She befriended the loud kid who liked to play soccer and she began to play soccer as well! She would return home covered by dirt, mud and bruises, contrasting with the cleanness and tidiness of the woman waiting for her. Toshiko strongly disapproved of Sora's behavior and that satisfied the girl like nothing else. Could there be better proof that she was different from the woman?

"I-I'm not.." Sora cried as she continued to destroy the doll. "I will never be like… I… I hate… I h-hate…"

Despite the tears coming down from her eyes, Sora laughed. She had finally unleashed the darkness that had been kept in the bottom of her heart for so long. There was nobody there to see her. Nobody to listen to her. Sora did not have to act as if there was nothing wrong. She let her pain rage on like a furious storm and felt lighter than ever.

She was free.

"Mother!" Sora shouted. She stood up and glared at the crest in the sky. "You have always been cold! Unloving! Self-absorbed! You never saw me for who I was! You only cared about having an heiress to your Ikebana! As if I was yours to mold! You're uncaring, selfish… I reject you! I reject everything you are! Everything you represent! I WILL NEVER BE LIKE YOU!"

"Sora!"

For the first time, she was able to discern a familiar voice in the wind. It was not coming from a place far away. Sora followed it and found a wall of ice that should be taller than 100 meters and surrounded the fake Odaiba. Stuck in the thick ice, with only the head free, Birdramon looked at her.

 _Why… is she here?_ Sora wondered, terrified. New flashes of memory came to her mind and she was able to make sense of the situation.

The following morning, after they met Kanda in person for the first time, the man and Homura had opened two portals. She went with Jyou and their partners to the underground pyramid and found a small machine digimon alone in a room. The same creature they had seen in the record in the factory where they had fought Andromon. As soon as Jyou's partner entered his room, Nanomon surrendered, letting himself be handcuffed. The children had found that suspicious. Suddenly, Mimi contacted her through the earplug. She had told the older girl that the orb was already in the container but…

"I was desperate…" Sora was recalling, looking at her partner. "I made you take me to the pyramid above… I made you open a path up with your attacks… you didn't want to take me there but I told you…"

 _"If you don't take me up there, I will never forgive you, Birdramon!"_

From Sora's wide open eyes, two thick tears rolled down. The girl lifted her shaking hands to caress her friend's head.

"It was my fault… I-I took you there…" She sobbed. "The darkness swallowed us… I didn't even think that I was putting you in danger… because of me, you're stuck in this ice wall…"

"T-this c-can't continue…" Birdramon spoke with difficulty. "I can't b-bear to keep s-seeing you d-doing this… please, Sora…"

"I'm going to save you!" Sora promised, looking around for something that she could use to break the wall. Not finding anything, she took her hat (which was made of hard material) and hit it against the cold surface.

After the tenth time, she noticed the extensive damage on the hat. It did not make sense. Just by hitting the object ten times against a hard surface was not enough to allow so many cracks to appear on it. That could only be possible if she had hit it hundreds of times.

The girl examined the wall in front of her and realized that it was dented in some parts, as if it had been suffering continuous damage. Likely from someone hitting it hundreds of times.

Sora remembered how she woke up in her pseudo-bedroom completely wet, with ice crystals on her chest, and found petals stuck in her shoes: white, orange and red. There were tears in her gloves. And there were so many destroyed flower dolls already on the ground. All of them had been destroyed by a pair of hands.

"How many times…" Sora's voice came out in a terrified whisper, as she placed the hat back on her head and took two steps back. "How many times have I been doing this? For how long have I been in this place?"

Birdramon's swallowed eyes shone. How many times had she cried because of her partner?

"I-I've l-lost the count after the f-first one h-hundred times…" The digimon said. "Y-you keep on doing the same things and s-saying the same things… you keep m-making the same mistakes and t-that thing comes along and f-freezes you… and you disappear for s-some hours. I-I don't know how I can help you… I d-don't know w-what to do… I can't s-stand to continue to see you s-suffering like this…"

 _I'm stuck in a cycle… I… I can't stay like this! I can't leave Birdramon like this! She's here because of me! Because I made her take me to where the orb was. Why? Why did I do such a thing?_

 _"Wait! The container… there's something dark leaking from it!"_

 _Mimi-chan had said that through the earplug, but there was something before it! What she said right before that was what made me forget about everything else! It was what made me fly to this trap! What was it?!_

Sora picked her digivice with her right hand and pointed it to the sky, in the direction of the giant glowing drawing.

"Not a-again…" Birdramon spoke with sorrow.

"If I can retrieve the crest… if you can evolve to perfect level… you might be able to get out of there…" Sora murmured. That should work. It had to work! But how would she be able to retrieve the crest? In Mimi's case, the rock simply flew to the younger girl's digivice. How did Tanemon explain it? She had felt Mimi's feelings inside her! Then, Sora had to transmit her feelings to Birdramon! Feelings capable of activating the crest.

"Love?" The girl asked in low voice.

New memories came to Sora. She had made up an excuse to leave the bedroom, in order to escape from Mimi's attempt to convince her to put the kimono on. She walked through the corridors of the base, eventually finding a semi closed door. The girl peeked and saw the backs of Kanda and Homura, sitting on pillows next to each other.

 _"Do you understand how irresponsible your plan is?"_ Homura sounded angry. _"It's a trap! There's no reason to send those children in there!"_

 _"I have checked everything there was to check in that place. There's no trap there."_ He asserted.

 _"Nanomon is planning something. He has some long game at play! He wouldn't just let you capture him so easily!"_

 _"Whatever he's planning, I'm prepared for it! What I can't do is let him escape again!"_

 _"Listen, Kanda-kun! You're not in your right state of mind right now! Nanomon makes you too emotional; you don't see the mistakes you're making!"_

 _"Of course he makes me emotional! After what he did to us, you should loathe him as well!"_

 _"I moved on!"_

 _"Really? Is that why you've been playing vigilante in Aurora Town for centuries? Is that why you put on that ridiculous costume and-"_

 _"Don't act as if you're doing this for us."_

 _"Of course I'm doing this for you! Do you think I'd go this far for my own sake?! Don't you understand how much your pain hurts me?!"_

 _"You shouldn't suffer-"_

 _"I can't avoid it! Have you forgotten what my crest was?"_ Kanda had begun to cry. _"You were all unconscious… you just woke up like that, it was easier for you guys. But I woke up before Nanomon finished the job! I saw you all… I saw your bodies…"_

 _"We have their memories, but that did not happen to us."_

 _"Do you think that was our birthday, Homura-san? Seriously?"_

 _"Nanomon created us."_

 _"Nanomon killed us! You all died around me! Our consciences were transferred to these abominable bodies! Don't you understand? That demon stole our lives! Because of him, we can never go home! **He has to pay**!"_

"His hatred…" Sora murmured. "He hated Nanomon with his whole soul. Kanda-san suffered because of his friends… because he was the bearer of love. I… I'm suffering because of Birdramon…"

"S-Stop it, Sora…" The digimon begged but the girl did not listen.

"Someone put her in the ice… someone keeps stopping me before I can save Bidramon…" Sora felt rage boiling in her. "The stranger in the black cloak!"

She looked down and noticed the ice spreading on the ground. Sora turned around and found the cloaked figure five steps away from her.

"IT'S YOU!" Sora roared, lowering her arms. The digivice was still being held in her right hand. "How could you do this to my friend?! Why do you want to keep us apart?! It doesn't matter how many times you try to stop me, I will never give up on saving Birdramon! I'll never abandon anyone I care about!"

The cloaked figure stretched the right arm in Sora's direction and an image of Koushiro doing the same thing flashed before Sora's eyes again.

He had done that when the dark matter advanced in Sora's direction.

The dark matter that was enveloping him.

Everything was clear now. When Sora and Birdramon had arrived at the pyramid above, they found Mimi, Lilymon and Tentomon trying to free Koushiro from the dark substance. When the darkness let him go to take Sora instead, the boy stretched his arm in her direction, with a horrified expression.

 _"Sora-san!"_ Mimi's voice echoed in her mind. The older girl remembered what she had heard in the earplug previously. _"There's something wrong with Koushiro-kun! He said that his leg hurts! And he's murmuring something about a game! Wait! The container… there's something dark leaking from it!"_

Finally, the memory of her conversation with Koushiro from the night before they entered the pyramids returned to her. After listening to the talk between Kanda and Homura, Sora had backed away and almost tripped on Koushiro, who had gone looking for her.

 _"Sora-san, we need to talk."_ The boy had told her. He had a preoccupied look. They went to an empty room and he told the girl:

 _"Sora-san, I don't think I should get close to that orb."_

That had made her so confused.

 _"What are you saying? Do you want Takeru-kun to go instead?"_

 _"What Kanda-san said about the orb targeting your thought-patterns made me think…"_

 _"Think about what?"_

 _"Sora-san… that time in the underground temple… I saw one of your memories."_

Sora did not want to remember that. Why did Koushiro have to bring that up?

 _"It was just one memory. That's not enough to cause your thought-patterns to resemble mine, Koushiro-kun!"_

 _"But, Sora-san, I didn't simply watch the memory… I-I lived it! I felt the pain in my leg. I felt your sadness… your anger."_

 _"Stop thinking about that! If you just forget it, everything will be okay."_

 _"We should tell Kanda-san about it and ask what he thinks."_

 _"There's no reason to do that!"_

 _"We don't have to go into details about the memory."_

 _He couldn't tell him! Kanda-san was going to want the details… and if he agreed to let Koushiro-kun out of the mission, the others would want an explanation! They would want to know what Koushiro-kun had seen! I couldn't let that happen! What would they think of me? Mimi-chan, Jyou-sempai, Takeru-kun… the poor Takeru-kun would have to go to the pyramids in Koushiro-kun's place! He'd be with Mimi-chan… away from me, if something happened… I wouldn't be able to protect him! And Takeru-kun was still in such a fragile emotional state! I couldn't let him go!_

 _"The orb won't target you, Koushiro-kun! Not because of one memory! If you tell him, Kanda-san might want Takeru-kun to go in your place! It's too soon for him to go on a mission like this!"_

 _"I don't know-"_

 _"Please, trust me on this! Nothing bad is going to happen! I swear that you'll be completely safe!"_

 _"Alright, Sora-san…"_

"I…" Sora felt something stuck in her throat. She could not inhale air properly and she felt as if her heart was being squeezed. "I put Koushiro-kun in danger…"

"S-Sora, it's okay-" Birdramon tried to comfort her partner but it was pointless, just like all the other times.

"I dismissed his concern… I didn't believe it was a serious threat… because I wanted to protect Takeru-kun… because I wanted to keep a secret from the others… I didn't even think about what could happen to Koushiro-kun… because of my selfishness… how could I…?"

The most devastating realization hit Sora in full force.

No matter how hard she fought or how much energy she spent, she could never win.

She could not escape that destiny.

The cloaked figure approached her and Sora did not run. There was no reason for it.

"Sora!" Birdramon cried. "Don't g-give up, Sora! I-I'm begging you! Stop d-doing this to y-yourself!"

"I'm sorry." Sora whispered. "You deserved someone better than me."

The figure placed the right hand over Sora's shirt.

The human felt her entire body freeze.

As her sight turned dark, she remembered all the times she had gone through that. All the times she kept on failing and losing to her own darkness. All the times she could not help Birdramon but only furthered the digimon's misery.

As everything disappeared, a voice she knew emerged from the deepest corners of her mind.

It said something she had heard long before, in a context she did not remember:

 _"That creature burned itself down and from its own ashes resurged. No matter how many tried to destroy it, it would always be reborn."_

Sora opened her eyes and found herself sitting on a chair; her upper body was leaning on a desk. The girl had no memory of how she had gotten to that place.

 **This chapter was largely based on the episode of Doctor Who with the same name. It was my favorite episode from the show (the first part of series nine finale, or the middle part if you consider Face the Raven the first). Although I have used elements of the episode in other two fics, this was the first time I tried to fully utilize its structure.**

 **Spoiler of Heaven Sent (Doctor Who):**

 **In the episode, the grieving Doctor has to escape a cloaked creature in a maze castle to where he was forcefully sent after seeing his best friend die. He spends most of the time trying to figure out where he is and how the place works, until he finds out that he's being letting himself be killed by the creature for millions of years, for the sake of punching a wall to escape that place and creating clones of himself that will continue to punch the wall, until one succeeds. It might be the most heart-wrenching episode of the show.**

 **In this chapter, Sora is not creating clones of herself, but she keeps being defeated by the cloaked figure and sent back to the beginning, to come to all of the same wrong conclusions again. And Birdramon has to keep watching her friend make the same mistakes hundreds of times.**

 **This was an experimental chapter and I had a lot of work to write it the way I wanted it to be. I hope it was good. Please, let me know what you thought about the chapter.**


	18. Endless darkness

"What did I do wrong this time? Didn't I make all the calculations correct?! Why can't I find the solution?!"

She shouted, frustrated, at one of the dozens of white boards filled with equations around her. She let herself fall backwards on the hundreds of open books, notebooks and general papers that covered the floor.

Above her, there were walls formed by irregular pieces of metal put together. They had as many written things as the white boards and papers attached to them. The musty smell characteristic of dark and humid places was strong. There was a faint ray of light coming from a small window in her left. Was it _already_ morning or _still_ morning? The passage of time had no meaning for her. She pulled a pendant from under her grey jersey and looked at the yellow rock inside it. The representation of the sun rising on the sea's horizon had brought tears to her eyes for countless years.

"I'm going to find the solution. I'm almost there." She promised, again, placing the pendant back under her jersey. She turned her head to the window and noticed that the sunflowers she had put in the vase had already wilted. That was not good.

She sat up and looked for her brown cape among the papers. After finding the dirty piece of cloth, she stood up and picked the red goggles hanging on a corner of one of the boards. While putting them on, she tried to ignore the purple tattoo on her right hand.

 **Chapter 18: Endless darkness**

Early in the morning, after they ate the rice balls and tea Homura had prepared for them, the woman invited the children and the digimon to a large room that she used as a dojo. The ceiling was high, the floor was covered by lustrous wood and the only furniture there was the gray cupboard in front of the wall opposed to the entrance. Kanda was waiting for them there, wearing a white robe. Homura was wearing a purple kimono.

The kids lined one beside the other, across from the adults. Each one of them received an earplug with a microphone integrated to it, except for Takeru. The digimon stayed in front of their partners. Kanda had brought a black laptop and two silver discs from his travel base and displayed them on the floor. Homura went to the cupboard and opened it. From a shelf above a kendo sword, she took the cubic metallic container for the orb and the pair of tiny handcuffs for Nanomon. She proceeded to give the container to Koushiro and the handcuffs to Jyou, rejoining the other adult after that.

"These are portable wormhole creators connected to the pyramids." Kanda explained, pointing to the discs on the floor. "When a side of the disc is pressed, the gate is closed and the complete disc stays on the side where it had been pressed. After you cross, I'll close the gates from this side and reopen them once the mission is complete."

"We'll watch you through the hacked cameras in the pyramids." Homura added, pointing to the black laptop lying on the floor. "One more thing: it would be safer for the digimon to evolve before going into enemy territory. Nanomon probably has something dreadful waiting for you." Homura spoke in a morbid tone that made Kanda roll his eyes.

"Don't mind Homura-san, she's always been the pessimistic of the group." The man adopted a joking tone.

"Like always, you ignore my intuition, Kanda-kun. Have you not learned from your past mistakes?" Homura scolded, crossing her arms.

"Don't give me that face." Kanda pouted.

"It's the only face I have." She said, raising an eyebrow.

"That's true." He laughed.

Mimi could not avoid giggling. In that moment, she realized that those two had, indeed, known each other for ages.

"I agree with Homura-san about the need to evolve!" Jyou said in an enthusiastic voice, grabbing his digivice and smiling at Pukamon.

"I need to make a serious warning." The floating digimon suddenly spoke in an exaggerated serious tone. "You're going to see my perfect form for the first time. Please, try not to be overwhelmed by my awesomeness."

"Well, in this case, I advise you not to be overwhelmed by Lilymon's graciousness." Mimi spoke in a playful tone, blinking with her left eye. The good vibes coming from Jyou and his partner warmed her heart.

"Pukamon evolves to… GOMAMON! Gomamon evolves to… IKKAKUMON!"

After the white creature appeared, gray light came from Jyou's digivice and enveloped the monster.

"Ikkakumon super evolves to… ZUDOMON!"

"It's massive!" Takeru exclaimed, amazed at the giant who had a shell on his back and a shiny hammer in his hand.

"He's also very strong and brave!" Jyou added, smiling broadly.

"I admit that he looks cool." Mimi smirked, grabbing her own digivice. "But be ready for Lilymon!"

"That's right!" Tanemon affirmed, embracing her partner's enthusiasm. "Tanemon evolves to… PALMON! Palmon evolves to… TOGEMON!"

Green light came from the girl's digivice and enveloped the plant digimon.

"Togemon super evolves to… LILYMON!"

"She's incredible, Mimi-kun!" Jyou shouted in admiration. "Look at how high she flies! I bet she's very fast!"

"She's also strong enough to carry a monkey rock star in bride style." Mimi complemented.

"I had never heard that slang before but… sure, whatever you say!" Jyou laughed.

"Those four seem to be full of energy since they got their crests." Tentomon said. By his left, Piyomon nodded.

"But soon we'll have our crest too, right, Sora?" The bird digimon tried to imprint excitement to her voice.

"Sure." Sora replied, giving her partner a small smile that did not convince Piyomon.

"There's still the issue of removing the crest from the orb." Koushiro commented in low voice.

"Don't you worry about that!" Kanda assured the kid. "I'll make Nanomon tell me how to get it out."

"Are you sure Nanomon knows how to do that?" Takeru asked. The boy, who had been by Koushiro's side, approached the man. Tokomon followed him, but kept his eyes on the floor for some reason.

"Of course I'm sure." Kanda lowered his voice. "In the files of the Academy, I came to know that Nanomon used to work under Seraphimon in the old days. He's most likely the inventor of the dark orbs."

"All the digimon should evolve." Homura spoke authoritatively, looking at Piyomon and Tentomon. Then, she glanced at their partners and noticed certain uneasiness in their expressions. She bit her lower lip.

"Alright, it's time to go!" Kanda announced, kneeling on the floor and pressing each disc with a hand. The objects created two tears in the space-time continuum above them, large enough to let the monsters pass. Tentomon and Piyomon quickly evolved to Kabuterimon and Birdramon, without Koushiro or Sora bothering to say anything. The two children from the soccer club seemed to be avoiding looking at each other.

Takeru could not see the other kids behind the large square portals that emitted a strong white light. After they had crossed, Kanda pressed the discs again and the portals closed. The boy walked a few meters to his right and sat on the floor, cross-legged. He observed the adults setting the computer up. Tokomon sat by his right.

"You could've said good-bye or good-luck." The white digimon told him

"You realize that Sora-san used your condition as an excuse, right?" Takeru asked. "She wanted me to stay behind."

"Of course I realized that." Tokomon replied. "But to be honest, I'm not upset for not having to go there. I _did_ just come back to life."

"Sorry." Takeru muttered, looking down. He had not intended to be insensitive, but he was anyway. That was becoming a frustrating trend. He glanced at his partner, wondering about what to say. How could someone tackle the subject of death and rebirth? The child was sure that no regular human would be able to do that. Despite that conclusion, he still tried.

"Tokomon…" The boy hesitated. "Do you… I mean… if you want to talk about how you're feeling, I can listen to you. I might not know how to respond but I'll do my best."

Tokomon stayed silent for a brief moment. He smiled, but Takeru perceived sadness in his friend's round eyes.

"Death is a more definitive thing for humans, right?" Tokomon asked in a tranquil tone, keeping his eyes on the pair of adults a few meters away.

"It is…" Takeru murmured, looking away. "I haven't actually lost someone to death before… it's not that I'm not grateful that you're here with me now. It's just…"

"I'm sorry that my death wounded you so severely." Tokomon had a sorrowful voice. "However, I don't regret sacrificing myself for you."

"You remember _it_ , don't you?" Takeru questioned, shrugging. "You said that you remember too much."

"Please, don't ask me to tell you about the things I came to remember." Tokomon pleaded, softly.

"But…"

"I don't want to remember sad things." The digimon forced a smile. "The time I've spent with you was the happiest I've ever had."

Takeru looked at his partner and noticed small drops of water at the corners of his eyes. He stretched his hand and placed it on his friend's head. His finger could sense the warmth under that short white fur. Tokomon's heart was beating, his lungs were taking air in and out, his stomach was digesting his breakfast and his brain was most likely thinking on depressing things he wished to leave behind. Takeru was not mature enough to understand mortality. However, Tokomon did not need him to understand.

"Okay." Takeru said, closing his eyes and pulling Tokomon for a hug. "I'll make sure to give you even happier times."

"Thank you, Takeru."

The boy opened his eyes and saw Patamon grinning to him. He hugged his small friend tighter, saying:

"Welcome back."

Floating at the top of the above pyramid, the orb should not have a diameter larger than five centimeters. It was all black, except for a red luminous point.

Mimi, Koushiro, Lilymon and Kabuterimon left the portal and found themselves right under the orb.

"This is going to be a piece of cake!" Mimi felt full of confidence. Sora had been acting a bit gloomy the day before, but Mimi was sure that the older girl would rejoice once she had her crest delivered to her. _Crest of love… that's perfect for Sora-san!_

"Okay, Koushiro. Give me the container." Lilymon asked the boy. Koushiro did not seem to have listened to her. He was staring at the dark sphere floating ten meters above, as if mesmerized by it.

"Koushiro-han?" Tentomon called him, touching his left shoulder. The boy blinked, took a step back and looked down.

"Sorry…" He said, giving the cube to Lilymon. "I think I've just spaced out right now."

"Caught up theorizing about the orb?" Mimi asked, grinning at him.

"Are you feeling alright?" Tentomon asked, concerned.

"Yes, of course." Koushiro replied. "I can play…"

"Play?" Tentomon was confused.

"Did I… just say that?" Koushiro asked, seemingly scared. He took a look back, finding no open portal where it had been a few minutes before.

"Mission accomplished, Mimi!" Lilymon announced, returning with a shaking cube in her arms. "It's kind of hard to keep this thing closed, though."

When Lilymon landed, Koushiro put a hand on his left leg and sat down, showing a pained expression.

"What's wrong?" Mimi asked.

"My leg… it hurts…" It was difficult for Koushiro to concentrate enough.

"When did this happen?" Tentomon's voice was full of concern and confusion.

"Kid, what's the problem?" Homura's voice came from the earplug he was wearing. Why did it sound so low?

"I can play…" The words were coming out from his mouth against his will. "I know how important tomorrow's game is…"

The flashes were appearing out of order and Koushiro could not escape them. He did not know what was happening around him anymore.

"Sora-san!" Mimi called the older girl by her earplug. "There's something wrong with Koushiro-kun! He said that his leg hurts! And he's murmuring something about a game!" It was when Mimi noticed something that resembled black smoke coming out from the cube's edges. "Wait! The container… there's something dark leaking from it!"

"Mimi, I can't hold it!" Lilymon shouted right before the object was forcefully opened and a wave of darkness flooded the place. Mimi's communicator stopped working and the cameras distributed in the pyramid exploded. Soon, the darkness enveloped Koushiro. Tentomon was pulling him by his right arm but could not move the boy. Mimi and Lilymon grabbed his left arm and tried to pull him away from the substance, with no success. The darkness was becoming thicker and the boy less visible in it.

Suddenly the floor was broken and a familiar voice filled almost all of them with hope.

"KOUSHIRO-KUN!" Sora yelled.

And then the darkness targeted her.

Before that, inside the below pyramid, Jyou, Sora, Birdramon and Zudomon had found themselves in front of a closed triangular door. The perfect level digimon smashed it with his hammer, allowing his partner to come in and shout "YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!"

Nanomon, who was a few meters in front of the door, simply lifted his long metallic arms and said, nonchalantly, "I surrender."

"Is this a trick?" Sora asked, without entering the room. Jyou did not listen to her question, instead hurrying to handcuff Nanomon.

"Mission accomplished!" The sixth grader announced to Kanda, who was listening through the earplug the boy had. Jyou was relieved and excited that everything had been resolved so quickly. "Don't try any trick, Nanomon!" The boy tried to imprint authority to his tone. "Those handcuffs are programmed to disable your attack systems! It's pointless to resist!"

"I already surrendered, kid." Nanomon sighed, as if he was bored with the situation.

"This is weird, Jyou." Zudomon voiced his concern, after following Jyou into the room and pointing his hammer at Nanomon. "Why would this guy give up so easily?"

"Maybe he got intimidated by your imposing appearance." Jyou guessed. Zudomon's cheeks became red as he looked in the other direction, bragging:

"I-it can't be helped! My perfect form is simply too cool for this world. And my ultimate one will be even cooler!"

"There's a chance your ultimate form is an ocean angel who flies around, looking cute." Nanomon commented with indifference.

"Wait! I'm going to fly? I'll have actual wings?" Zudomon was interested.

"You can already fly as Pukamon." Jyou recalled.

"Not to very high places." Zudomon replied, frustrated.

"YOU HAVE TO TAKE ME THERE!" Sora's shout came from the outside. Jyou went there, signalizing for Zudomon to keep an eye on the robot digimon.

"I'm not going to take you up there, Sora!" Birdramon seemed to be on the verge of tears.

"Koushiro-kun is in danger because of me!" Sora had increasing desperation in her voice. "If something bad happens to him, I won't be able to live with myself!"

"Danger?" Jyou was confused. "W-what are you talking about, Sora-kun?"

"Open a path to the above pyramid and take me there!" Sora ordered her partner, ignoring Jyou.

"Try to understand, Sora-" The digimon began to cry.

"If you don't take me up there, I will never forgive you, Birdramon!"

The girl's exasperate tone shocked Jyou so much that he froze at his tracks. Birdramon's determination proved not to be as strong as Sora's. The bird monster opened a hole on the ceiling and flew up with the girl on her foot.

Zudomon had watched everything from the room. Wanting to go to where his partner was, he grabbed Nanomon with his free hand and walked there.

"Jyou, what just happened?! Why did Sora do that?" Zudomon asked, placing Nanomon on the floor. The human did not say a word, merely staring in shock at the hole on the ceiling and the holes above it.

A tear in space suddenly appeared in front of them, through which Kanda walked into the pyramid. Jyou turned his face to him. The man stopped in front of Nanomon, visibly enraged.

"What did you… how did you…?" Kanda was shaking. "That was not how orbs are supposed to work! What did you do to activate it without Sora or me being there?!"

Nanomon looked into the man's wide open eyes and showed him the largest and most disturbing smile he could, saying:

"I didn't have to do anything. This was entirely your doing. I have to say I didn't think you'd be stupid to the point of bringing along the new bearer of love and, as it seems, someone with whom she shared a mirror."

The first reaction of Kanda was to be paralyzed. He opened his mouth and eyes and let his arms fall by his sides.

"Look at you." Nanomon spoke in a taunting tone. "You can brag as much as you like but in the end you'll always be that idiotic weak kid."

Kanda clenched his fists and glared intensively at the little robot digimon.

Sensing that the man was about to do something regrettable, Jyou tried to stop him:

"Wait! I-I don't know what happened up there, but if someone got captured-"

"How could you just let her go there?" Kanda inquired, turning to Jyou. "Haven't I told you that Sora shouldn't go near the orb?! How could you just stay still and watch her do it?!"

"I…" The sixth grader trembled in shame. "I-I'm sorry, I couldn't… it was too fast, I-"

"Don't talk like that to Jyou!" Zudomon got angry. "You were the one who put everybody in this situation! You were the one who said that there was nothing to worry about!"

Kanda paled, looking away from the boy and Zudomon. He picked Nanomon up and marched back to the portal. Zudomon devolved to Pukamon and went after the man along with Jyou.

In the above pyramid, Mimi looked astonished at her surroundings. Sora was nowhere to be found. Lilymon devolved to Tanemon and had a mortified expression. Koushiro was sitting on the floor a couple of steps ahead, stretching his arm in the direction where Sora had vanished. Under the floating dark orb, there was a crater created by Birdramon.

Mimi could not comprehend how all of that had happened. The mission had been a success. Everything had gone according to the plan. Why was the container not enough to hold the darkness? Why was Koushiro being surrounded by it? Why could they not free him? Why did Sora…?

She knew why Sora had done that. Mimi had told her about Koushiro feeling pain and about the leaking. The younger girl had not thought that Sora would rush immediately into danger to help them. In her confusion and desperation, she was not thinking at all. And now Sora had disappeared.

"Koushiro-han!" Tentomon called his partner, shaking him gently. Koushiro was not reacting. He kept his arm stretched and looked, horrified, at the orb. A pair of tears fell from his eyes.

"Mimi, I'm sorry." Tanemon said, next to the girl. "I wasn't strong enough… I couldn't…"

"Don't beat yourself up." The girl told her partner, picking her up and hugging her. "None of us could do anything."

Despite saying that, the feeling of powerlessness was overwhelming. Just like with Tonosamageckomon, now something terrible had happened to Sora and Mimi hadn't been able to do anything. All she ever had to offer were words, but words could not stop any of those tragedies. Being optimistic, idealistic, confident… what was the point of any of that? In the end, no matter what she did, Mimi only kept watching people suffering.

"Koushiro-han, talk to me!" Tentomon was still trying to make his partner react. "Please! You're scaring me!"

A cutting sound came from his left, equal to the ones they heard when the portals to the pyramids opened and closed not long before.

Homura ran into the pyramid, accompanied by Takeru and Patamon. Astonished, they took in all the information in their surroundings. The woman had a horrified expression. She went to where Mimi and Tanemon were.

"What happened?" Homura asked.

"Darkness forced the container open…" Mimi recalled, glancing at the open cube lying on the floor a couple of steps away. "It went after Koushiro-kun… then Sora-san came and the darkness… Sora-san… was swallowed by it with Birdramon"

The girl could no longer hold the tears in. Takeru watched Mimi from distance, feeling as if something was breaking inside him. Although he had occasional disagreements with her, the boy could not stand to see someone he cared about in that state. He approached Koushiro and Tentomon and could not bear to look for too long at the boy. The redhead's devastated expression shattered his heart in pieces.

The youngest child glanced at the dark orb that had a small luminous red spot in it. Was Sora inside that thing? Kanda had told them that nobody had ever escaped from an orb. But Nanomon had invented the orbs! That digimon would know what to do to rescue Sora, right? She could not stay trapped there forever. Not because she wanted to protect him…

"KOUSHIRO-HAN!" Tentomon cried when the boy passed out. The other children and their partners rushed to him. Homura picked the cube up, went to where the orb was and, in a jump, grabbed the sphere and sealed it in the container, landing safely at the other side of the crater. She turned back to the alarmed children trying to wake their friend up and felt her heart getting heavier.

"I'll leave the portal open for you. I need to put this in a safe place."

Homura headed back to the dojo in a hurry. There, she saw Kanda violently stepping over Nanomon on the floor.

"Please, stop it! You're going to kill him!" Jyou tried to reason with the man.

"We gain nothing if he dies!" Pukamon supported his partner.

"I won't stop until he tells me what I want!" Kanda roared, pressing Nanomon against the floor with more force.

"I know that you've wanted to do this for most of your existence." Nanomon said, grinning. "Sadly for you, I've disabled my capacity to feel physical pain."

Kanda removed his right foot from above the monster.

"There are other ways for me to make you talk!" The man affirmed.

"I'm sure you've stored something wicked in the main base just for me." Nanomon had a calm voice. "But you'll need to wait until everybody moves to their temporary new locations."

Kanda paled, which amused Nanomon.

"I know you would want the base empty to avoid me revealing the truth of the deadly banquet to anyone. You're far from being unpredictable."

"I'll be sure to surprise you." Kanda promised.

"Kanda-kun." Homura called him.

He turned to her. The man's eyes locked on the cube she was carrying.

"Sora and Birdramon are inside the orb." Her voice was almost inaudible.

"Sora-kun?" Jyou gasped.

"It had targeted Koushiro… we saw it in the computer before losing communication." She continued, looking down. "I don't know how that could happen… that wasn't supposed to happen…"

Kanda took a step in her direction and Homura took two steps back.

"Don't get close to this! It could swallow you too!" She reprehended.

"The orb needs at least three hours before being able to swallow another compatible victim." Nanomon informed. "By the way, good to see you again, Homura."

"Don't you talk to her!" Kanda ordered, kicking Nanomon so hard that the monster was thrown against a wall and passed away. Jyou wanted to go check if he was okay but the man's glare made him stop.

"I'll hide this somewhere else… somewhere safe…" Homura murmured, leaving the dojo with large steps. Jyou ran after her. She ran from him.

"Stop!" Jyou yelled. "Where are you taking Sora-kun?! What is happening to her right now?!"

Her lack of reply angered the boy deeply.

"DON'T YOU THINK YOU OWE ME AN EXPLANATION?!" He screamed. The woman in his front stopped moving but did not turn back to face him. They were in a corridor.

"Kanda-san said that there was nothing to worry about!" Jyou reminded her, bitterly. "He said that there were no traps and that everybody would be safe! Then, why was Koushiro-kun in danger? Why did all of that happen?!"

There was still no answer. Jyou felt anger boiling inside him. Kanda and Homura were adults! Adults were supposed to watch over children, to protect them, to advise them! Had those two been lying to them all along? Did they use his group without caring to tell them the real risks they would face? Were they simply manipulating kids without caring for what could happen to them? That was abominable!

"You brought us here." Jyou made a dry affirmation. "You and Kanda-san didn't even ask us if we wanted to come to this world! You didn't even care to explain us anything until Tamaki-san ran into us! We had left home thinking we'd stay a couple of weeks in a summer camp and then, suddenly, we were in a strange place and monsters kept trying to kill us! Do you even understand how much we've suffered? How much trauma we've been through?! And now Sora-kun is trapped in a supposedly inescapable prison and you won't even talk to me properly?! Do we all mean so little to you? Do you see us as just pawns to be used?"

Jyou could not stop himself from crying. What did happen to Sora? Why did he not stop her? She was right in his reach and he could not do it. But if he had stopped her, would it have been Koushiro in the orb? Sora was feeling guilty. Why? Did she know something and kept it from him and the others? Was Jyou not trustable enough to know?

"I'm sorry." Homura muttered.

Her tone of voice made Jyou uneasy. It was not the usual intimidating one, but a tone of voice that conveyed regret and shame.

"I just wanted to keep the world safe." Homura's voice came out almost inaudible. "Kanda-kun said that we could only protect the world by bringing new children here. I thought… I really thought things would work out this time. I thought I had become strong enough to guarantee that. I didn't even think about the impact this world would have in your lives. I just thought about that promise."

"Promise?" Jyou asked.

"When we first arrived here, we were told that this world needed us." Homura narrated. "Nanomon, Piximon, Gennai… they told us we were the fated heroes who would bring peace to the Digital World… I really believed in that. To every digimon we found, I promised that we were going to bring peace to the world. I thought I was some sort of brave warrior. I used to watch TV dramas about samurais with my Mother when I was growing up. It was my dream to be like one. My Mother was sick and could not leave her bed… and Father was always working… he promised on his life he would find a cure for her. But he didn't."

"I'm sorry." Jyou said, looking down.

"He said he had to atone for it… because promises should be taken very s-seriously." Homura's voice broke and she kneeled on the floor. Jyou and Pukamon approached her and stayed by her side. The woman continued to talk. "I promised… I swore that I wouldn't stop fighting until the world was in peace. After we lost Shinsuke-kun, I promised Otae-san that I'd avenge her brother. But she didn't want to fight anymore… she didn't want to do anything… I called her a coward for it. I pushed her to keep on going… I pushed everybody to keep on fighting… I never stopped. Even while everything was falling apart around me… even after I became this thing... I put on a scary mask… I put on armor and I kept fighting. Alone."

"Where's Otae-san now?" Jyou inquired.

"I don't know." Homura murmured. "She was the first to leave. I was so angry at her… I couldn't understand how she could abandon us like that after everything we did for her."

"Did she ever ask you to avenge her brother?" Pukamon questioned.

"She didn't have to!" Homura became defensive. "I just thought… I thought that if we did it I would see light in her eyes again… I would see her smiling again… I just wanted to make her happy… and she left. After that, all I had was the promise I made to the digimon to protect this world. I've been doing my best. Endlessly fighting to protect the weak and punish the abusers… but the more I slay, more wrongdoers appear… and when I noticed I was being called _Demon_."

Jyou did not know what to say to her. He regretted directing his anger at Homura. The adult had done terrible things, despite having the best intentions. She had hurt others, even those for whom she cared, because she believed to be doing the best for them. That person was not a strong and intimidating adult. What Jyou saw in that moment was a scared child, someone who had tried too hard to fulfill an ideal and ended up pushing others away and destroying what she wanted to protect. There was a part of the boy who was grateful for seeing the errors in his behavior and views before it was too late. And that part of him that was capable to feel such a thing while confronted by the woman's tragedy filled the boy with guilt.

"I've just been lying to myself, haven't I?" Homura asked. "I haven't been doing anything good. Instead of protecting, all I do is destroy lives. It's what I do to digimon… it's what I did to you… to my friends… to _her_. I shouldn't have allowed you to come to this world. I'm despicable… worthless…"

"I don't regret coming to this world." Jyou affirmed. "Even though Sora-kun is in a terrible situation now, I'm sure we can help her! I won't give up. After coming to the Digital World, I've begun to trust in my own capability. I've come to understand more about myself and about others. I'm grateful for that. I'm happy that I've changed."

"I forgot how it feels to be optimistic." Homura commented. "My group lost hope too soon."

"Mine will never lose hope!" Jyou stated.

"You really mean that, don't you?" Homura asked, showing a little smile that contrasted to her face washed by tears.

"Of course I mean it." Jyou smiled back. "I mean everything I say. Don't you know which crest I have?"

They both smirked. Pukamon, who had been floating close to Jyou during the entire conversation, did not smile. After listening to Homura's story, a new concern was born in his heart.

After Homura, Jyou and Pukamon left, Kanda took the unconscious Nanomon to his travel base, where he put the monster in a cage integrated to the wall, at the level of the floor. The base was circular; its diameter should not be larger than five meters. There was a pillar at the center of the floor, above which Kanda would put his laptop to control the base. Across from the cage, there was a brown bag the man had brought for a reason that had nothing to do with Nanomon.

For all the time he had spent fantasizing about capturing the robot digimon, that scenario had never occurred to him. Now that he thought about it, he realized how he had been playing Nanomon's game all along. He had let his own arrogance and hatred go over his head and did exactly what his enemy wanted: get the new bearer of love trapped. Did the digimon anticipate Kanda's entire plan and was just waiting for the disaster to unfold? Did he, somehow, know that Koushiro had shared a mirror with Sora at some point? That should not be possible. Even if he knew, he could not have anticipated that one of them would necessarily go after the orb.

A sudden realization hit Kanda.

The container he had created was supposed to hold the orb even if its target was nearby. Yet, the dark matter concentrated in the sphere was capable of overpowering the containing system to go after a target that was not even its primary one. Had the incident with Koushiro not happened, the kids would have returned from the pyramids and Sora would have been close enough to the orb to make the dark matter force the cube open and trap her. So, it all boiled down to two possibilities: either Nanomon had created an orb that was a lot more powerful than the ones Kanda had encountered, or his container had been sabotaged.

It had to be the first option.

Nobody knew where he was going. He made sure to check it. There were only two digimon whose memories he could not see. But one of them could barely keep recent memories and the other would never risk exposing _her_ to the enemies of the Academy. The only logical answer was that Nanomon had altered the orb.

"No quite what you dreamed, right?"

Nanomon's voice brought Kanda back to reality. The man saw the small robotic digimon standing up in the cage. He was dented in many parts and had part of the glass protecting his brain cracked. Nevertheless, he still exhibited a tranquil smile.

"I haven't dreamed even once during centuries." Kanda stated, taking two steps in the digimon's direction and looking him down.

"I gave you a body that does not require rest, nutrition or any other bothersome physical needs a human body does. You should be grateful for receiving such a terrific gift." Nanomon scolded the other.

Kanda was under the impression that he could hear his own heartbeats getting progressively faster. But he had to remain calm. Losing his cool earlier had only given Nanomon an upper hand in their psychological battle. Kanda had to reverse that. _Don't let him get into your mind_ , he reminded himself.

"Is guilt eating you up?" Nanomon asked.

"I have no reason to feel guilty." Kanda affirmed.

"Sure." The digimon smirked. "You're not as good at lying as you believe to be. I remember when you and the others came to this world. You were shaking from head to toe and still tried to look brave for Otae."

Kanda clenched his fists, feeling sweat covering his forehead. How dared he speak about Otae? How dared he say her name after what he had done to her? After what he had done to all of them? But Nanomon would have what he deserved. It was only a matter of patience.

"She broke into my southern underground laboratory ten years ago." Nanomon spoke as if delivering trivial information. Kanda raised his eyebrows in surprise, immediately regretting the involuntary action. Nanomon smiled. "You didn't know about it. What a shame. If she had told you what she found in that laboratory, you would've figured out already how the bearer of love can be saved."

"I'll make you tell me how she can be saved." Kanda made sure to sound threatening, lowering his body to look into Nanomon's eyes. "You will tell me exactly how you modified that orb and-"

"I didn't modify anything." Nanomon informed. "The dark orb is the ultimate prison. Why would I change something that is perfect?"

"You modified it! I know that you did it!" Kanda shouted, punching the wall next to the bars of the cage.

"I did not." Nanomon had a bemused tone. "I made a countermeasure for it, though. Without Seraphimon knowing."

"What countermeasure?" The man inquired.

Nanomon smiled broadly before replying:

"Go ask your girl friend, Kanda-chii."

That answer made Kanda grab Nanomon between the bars and hit his head on the wall, making the digimon pass out again.

In the pyramid, Mimi, Takeru, Tanemon, Patamon and Tentomon observed the unconscious Koushiro, who was lying on his left side; his computer backpack was still on his back. The redhead was shaking and seemed to be in pain. Nobody had been able to wake him up.

"Do you think he's having a nightmare?" Tanemon asked.

"I hope it's _just_ a nightmare." Tentomon had a gloomy voice.

"He was almost swallowed by the darkness." Mimi remembered, shaking. She was sitting next to Tanemon by Koushiro's right, while Takeru, Patamon and Tentomon were by the boy's left. "If Sora-san had not appeared, it would have been him in the orb now… she only appeared because I told her-"

"She would've felt guilty if Koushiro-san had been captured in her place." Takeru said. "She sacrificed herself to save him..."

The blond child glanced at Patamon, sat on his right.

"But why did the darkness go after Koushiro?" Tanemon wondered.

"Maybe Kanda-san and Homura-san lied to us about it only targeting Sora-san." Mimi theorized.

"It's more likely Nanomon's doing." Takeru disagreed.

"Remember when we saw Nanomon in that video in the factory?" Mimi asked. "He was crying…"

"Kanda-san told us that Nanomon was an evil digimon." Takeru said.

"He didn't tell us why." Mimi retorted. "Neither did he tell us how he came to be Headmaster of the Academy! Or why he pretends to be someone called Gennai! What happened to this Gennai person? If Kanda-san is the Headmaster, why didn't he send his underlings after Nanomon instead of us?"

"Maybe he didn't trust his underlings…" Takeru theorized.

"Maybe Nanomon knows things that Kanda-san doesn't want anyone to know!" Mimi concluded. "He has too many secrets."

"I don't want to believe that the person who used to have Sora-san's crest is our enemy." Takeru murmured.

"He wouldn't have to be an enemy." Patamon pondered. "He could be well-meaning despite doing questionable things."

"Homura seemed to be genuinely shocked at what happened." Tanemon pointed out.

 _They're right_ , Mimi thought. _What they're saying makes sense. Why am I trying so hard to paint Kanda-san as the villain? Just like I tend to see Homura-san as a brute, ignoring the good things she did for us. I thought I was better than this. But it's so easy to put the responsibility on someone else… a lot easier than having to live feeling like this._

Big tears escaped from Mimi's eyes.

"Mimi-san, it's going to be alright." Takeru tried to comfort her.

"Sora is still alive inside the orb!" Patamon stated. "We just have to figure out a way to get her out!"

"Don't be discouraged, Mimi." Tanemon pleaded. "If you keep your spirit up-"

"Stop it!" Mimi cried. "Stop trying to make me feel better! Everything is awful! Tonosamageckomon was assassinated! Sora-san is trapped in a prison from which nobody ever escaped! Koushiro-kun can't wake up from a nightmare! How can I keep my spirit up? It makes no difference to be positive! It won't change anything!"

"Mimi-san, you can't give up!" Takeru stated. "Nothing good will happen if-"

"I can't do this!" Mimi shouted. "I just can't! It's impossible! What was I thinking when I told Tamaki-san that I would find a way for everybody to be safe and happy again? How could I promise that we would never be trapped in a spiral of despair?! I'm already in that spiral and I can't see a way out of it! I can't see us being okay again… I wanted to find a way to help the digimon and our world without having to hurt anyone… I can't see that being possible anymore! When my crest glowed, I really thought that it was possible. But then the next thing I know is that Babamon killed the Mayor and an angry mob attacked Jyou-san and Koushiro-kun! My words made no difference… and now Sora-san is trapped and I have no idea what she's going through or how to help her… I feel so useless… I can't do a damn thing for anyone!"

Mimi sobbed loudly and hid her face behind her hands. Less than a minute later, she felt little arms involving her. She moved her hands and realized that Takeru had gone to where she was and was now hugging her.

"W-what are you doing?" She asked, confused.

"I understand how you're feeling." Takeru told her. "The anger… the sense of hopelessness… but you can't let those things beat you up! You're a lot stronger than this!"

"I'm not-" Mimi tried to protest.

"Yes, you are!" Takeru did not let her deny that. "You believe in yourself and you don't give up on your ideals. You're not afraid of confronting others to defend them! And you're always so kind. I might not agree with you in many occasions, Mimi-san, but I truly respect and admire you."

Although she was overwhelmed by those words, Mimi managed to thank Takeru. She did not expect him to have her in such high regards. Maybe, she did have an impact on others after all.

Tanemon and Patamon smiled largely at the two children. Tentomon had been solely focused on his partner.

"Mimi-kun! Takeru-kun!" Jyou called them, coming through the open portal with Pukamon. He saw Koushiro unconscious and immediately approached him to exam the redhead.

"Sora-san… Sora-san…" Koushiro murmured in an anguished tone.

"He's dreaming about her." Takeru commented, letting go of Mimi.

Suddenly, Koushiro woke up. He looked around, confused, and sat up quickly. Tentomon jumped on him and hugged the boy tightly, letting Koushiro know how concerned he had been.

"Sora-san…" Koushiro called for the girl but she was not there. "I have to… I have to save her…"

"We'll save Sora-san, don't worry." Takeru assured the boy.

"Yes." Mimi said, wiping her tears. She wanted to believe in that.

"I can't… I can't stay here…" Koushiro said, closing his eyes fiercely and grabbing his hair. Then, he stood up on a jump and ran to the portal. The others followed him.

"I need to find her…" He kept murmuring.

Jyou pressed the silver disc and closed that portal, once they all had crossed. He had done that with the one connected to the below pyramid as well.

"What are you talking about? We know where she is!" Mimi said. "She's in the orb!"

"Homura-san hid the container in a safe place. It will be dangerous for you to approach it." Jyou informed.

Koushiro did not listen to them and ran, leaving the dojo and gaining the corridor. Tentomon flew after him.

"What's the matter with Koushiro-san?" Takeru asked, worried.

"He's not taking Sora-san's disappearance well." Mimi observed.

"We have to go after him!" Jyou affirmed.

"Let Tentomon take care of that first." Pukamon suggested. "His partner will know what to do."

"Koushiro-han, where are you going?!" Tentomon asked, once he managed to block the boy's way, five corridor turns later.

"I need to help Sora-san!" He replied.

"You're not going near that orb!" The digimon prohibited the other.

"But she needs my help!" Koushiro shouted. "It's my fault! I knew this could unfold and I let it happen anyway!"

"What do you mean?" Tentomon was confused.

"I saw a memory of hers in that mirror from the underground temple." Koushiro confessed, looking down. "It was just one memory… it shouldn't have caused this…"

"You knew that there was a risk of you being targeted and you went there anyway?" Tentomon asked, disturbed.

"I'm sorry." Koushiro whispered, letting himself fall to his knees. "I'm sorry for doing this to you… even though I had promised to take better care of myself… I'm sorry for disappointing you like this…"

"I'm not disappointed." Tentomon tried to comfort him, landing in front of Koushiro and putting his main arms on the boy's shoulders.

"I didn't want to make you worry." The boy had a sorrowful voice. "I didn't think… I didn't…"

"Did you really believe that nothing bad was going to happen?" Tentomon inquired.

"I guess… that made sense to me..." Koushiro replied. "I wasn't… I don't actively think about what could happen to me or how other people would be affected by it. I push those thoughts away…"

"Why do you do that?" Tentomon asked.

Koushiro took almost one minute to reply.

"If I look into myself for too long, I would find something ugly staring back at me."

Tentomon searched for the words that would make Koushiro feel better but could not find any.

"There you are!" Kanda said, coming from the corridor in their front. "I've been looking for you!"

"Kanda-san!" Koushiro gasped, standing up and looking to the man. Tentomon moved to the boy's side.

"I'm sorry!" The child hurried to say. "I should've told you something. Not long ago, Sora-san found a broken mirror and she gave it to me. When I touched it, I saw one of her memories. I-I should've told you… I should've…"

"A broken mirror you say?" Kanda frowned. "Where did you find that mirror? Where is it now?"

"It was in an underground temple under Infinity Mountain, in File Island." Koushiro replied. "I threw it in a lake there."

"Asclepius fountain?" Kanda seemed perplexed. "You threw the broken mirror in a lake that fixes everything?!"

"Is that a problem?" Koushiro questioned, concerned.

"Did something change ever since?" The man inquired. "To which extend was your access to Sora's mind?"

"Just one memory, like I said." The boy answered.

"One memory alone shouldn't have affected your mind to the point of activating the orb!" Kanda was skeptical.

"I'm not lying, I swear!" Koushiro was getting anxious.

"Then, what kind of memory was it? What did you see exactly?" Kanda demanded.

"A hurtful memory. I'm sorry but I can't give you the details." Koushiro apologized.

"What do you mean you can't?!" The man was losing his patience.

"Sora-san didn't want people to know about that! It was bad enough that I saw it!" Koushiro explained.

"What Sora wanted or not doesn't matter now!" Kanda shouted.

"It matters to me!" Koushiro yelled.

"Leave him alone already!" Tentomon confronted the adult. "Koushiro-han has been through a lot! He doesn't have to be harassed by you!"

"I'm not harassing anyone!" Kanda interjected. "But your friend's irresponsibility resulted in Sora being trapped in the sphere!"

"I'm sorry…" Koushiro muttered, beginning to cry. "I'll… I'll fix everything… I'll find a solution…"

That line reminded Kanda of a person he knew. He should have noticed it sooner. The loyalty, the predisposition to feeling guilty… not to mention that the two of them had the same crest! Maybe that kid could understand her better than Kanda ever did. Maybe she could listen to that boy. Koushiro was in a vulnerable state now. He believed that everything had been his fault. It should not be difficult for Kanda to convince the boy to do what he wanted. It was worth a shot.

"I have a solution for you." The man told Koushiro, kneeling in front of the boy and Tentomon.

"What do you mean?" The child asked.

"There's someone who knows about a countermeasure for the orb." Kanda told him. "It's someone I've been looking for. I had received my first clue to her location right before knowing what had happened to the crest of love. I was planning to go to that place after recovering the crest and apprehending Nanomon. I wanted to see if she was alright… I doubt she would want to see me, though."

"Can this person really help Sora-san?" Koushiro inquired, hopeful.

"Yes!" Kanda assured the child. "She knows a lot more than me or anyone else! She always knew…" Kanda showed a small smile, seemingly revisiting good memories. "She could do anything… it was almost like magic."

"We should call the others and go after this person, then." Tentomon suggested.

"That's a dreadful idea! She hates crowds!" Kanda said, frowning. "Besides, she wouldn't react well if she saw all those children. You have to go alone with Tentomon."

"Why me?" Koushiro asked, anxious. "I'm not good with people! Surely if you sent someone like Mimi-san instead-"

"It has to be you, Koushiro!" Kanda raised his voice. "If it's you, Tae would-"

"Tae?" Tentomon cut the other off.

"The former bearer of Koushiro's crest, Otae." The man explained. "She's still in possession of it and the crest of hope… that belonged to her deceased brother."

"Do you think that just because we share a crest she's going to listen to me?" The boy asked.

"She has a difficult personality. When she was troubled, we didn't have the faintest idea how to help her. We couldn't even tell what was going through her mind." The man recalled. "Among everybody in this world, you have the highest chance to get through to her. You already have something in common with her! Besides, don't you want to do something to compensate for not telling me about the mirror?"

"I'm not sure about this plan." Tentomon let out his concern. "Wouldn't it take too long to find this person? Wouldn't it be faster if we called the others?"

"I've prepared a tracking device and maps. The area you're going to is not populated. Also, she doesn't have an interdimensional base, which means that the place where she lives should be visible and accessible to anyone." Kanda informed. "This is the only chance of helping Sora that you have, Koushiro. Are you willing to take it?"

Koushiro wiped his tears with the back of his left hand and showed the man a determined expression.

"I'll do everything in my power." The child promised.

Kanda smiled brightly. In the end, everything would work out better than he had anticipated.

 **This month, this story completes one year. Thank you all for the support and the reviews.**

 **Koushiro and Tentomon return next chapter, in: The magician's apprentice.**


	19. The Magician's apprentice

One of Koushiro's earliest memories was of a birthday party of a neighbor's child. There were not a lot of details he retained from that day. But all the details he kept had to do with one person.

There was a lady wearing a tuxedo and a top hat. She had a little wand that shot starlight.

Koushiro, in his mother's arms, watched the lady in awe. She pulled flowers from her hat, colorful napkins from her sleeves and made ripped cards whole again.

At some point, the small child asked his mother to put him on the floor. He ran to the lady and asked her if she could teach him how to create magic.

"That's impossible." The lady told him.

The child was heartbroken by hearing that

The woman lowered her body and smiled largely at the child. She gently placed her top hat on his head and said:

"Magic is present in each one of us and surrounds us all. You just need to pay attention to see it."

For the rest of his life, Koushiro would search for that magic.

 **Chapter 19: The Magician's apprentice**

He had to close his eyes to cross the bright portal. This time, that task was harder. He had concerns when entering the pyramid, but back then he also had the hope that everything would be fine by the end.

Now, when he closed his eyes, he was back in the freezing darkness, with someone he could not discern. The only light came when Sora and Birdramon erupted into that place. He saw for a glimpse of a second someone wearing a dark cloak turning to the girl as crystals of ice spread through the air. Koushiro freed one of his arms from whoever was holding them behind him and stretched it to Sora. But that was a futile gesture. And it remained that way as many times as the boy had to relive the moment, when he had to close his eyes.

Sora was gone. But he could still rescue her. There had to be a solution. Even if Otae did not have the complete answer, he could still work it out. He had the crest of knowledge, as Wisemon had told him one day before. People had always praised him for his intelligence. Most times, that was all what people praised him for. His intellect had to be of use in that situation.

"Koushiro-han!" Tentomon's voice came from his right. The boy opened his eyes to a desert. Dark clouds covered the sky and the sound of thunder could be heard from many directions. The wind was strong enough to carry big amounts of sand. It was hard to keep his eyes open. Koushiro turned around and pressed the silver disc, closing the portal. He put the object in the brown bag Kanda had given him. The boy took from the bag a bracelet that had a square brown compartment attached to it, and a small screen on the compartment. Kanda had told the kid that the data of an object that belonged to Otae was in that bracelet and that the screen would indicate her location once she was close enough.

"Koushiro-han, I'm talking to you!" Tentomon spoke again. Koushiro turned to the direction his partner was pointing to while putting the bracelet on.

A few steps to their right, a massive rocky structure emerged from the sand. Its irregular curve branches resembled those of a tree. The strange object had a trunk supported by four large and tall tube-like legs. The space among them and below the trunk was wide enough to accommodate a group of three or four people.

Koushiro absorbed as many details of the structure as he could. It was taller than 20 meters. Its gray appearance indicated what kind of material it should be made of. The boy looked around, despite the wind and the big mass of sand being carried by it. He could tell that there were several other irregular structures like that one dispersed through the desert.

"Ha…" Koushiro let a giggle escape his mouth. The sound surprised Tentomon. He paid attention to the human and noticed the amazed look he had while facing the structure. The boy smiled largely and placed his hands by the sides of his face. He turned around a couple of times and returned to examine the object. His eyes shone more at each turn.

"Koushiro-han?" Tentomon called him, failing at figuring out what was making the boy behave like that.

"It's fulgurite! How can it be fulgurite? It must've been uncovered by the wind! But something this big shouldn't be standing anymore! Aren't fulgurites supposed to be super fragile? How can it still be standing in a place like this with this kind of weather? Is the silica in the Digital World more resistant than in our world? Is the lightning here more potent? Maybe it was created by several thunderbolts hitting a spot at once! I never imagined something like this… I can't believe I'm seeing this with my own eyes!" Koushiro's voice was becoming increasingly higher and his eyes were getting wider.

"What's fulgurite?" Tentomon asked, not understanding his friend's enthusiasm.

"When lightning hits sand high in silica or quartz, it creates small silica glass hollow structures!" Koushiro nearly shouted in excitement. "It's glass, Tentomon! Isn't it incredible?! It's sand fused! It's huge! It shouldn't be like this! It shouldn't be intact! But it is, against all odds! It's…" The boy's vocabulary was rich for his age, but at that moment he was at a loss of words. Confronted by the impossible, by the unthinkable, his heart was beating so fast that he felt as if it was about to explode. But that was a good feeling. Not the one he felt when he was scared, but something completely different. He was full of energy and strangely calm at once. He wanted to scream his lungs out but also wanted to be in respectful silence, in reverence of the structure. As paradoxical emotions collided, his mind worked rapidly to comprehend what he was experiencing. Only one adjective was able to wrap the state of wonder the boy was in. "It's beautiful!"

Tentomon did not understand most of what the child said. But the digimon's heart felt lighter by seeing his partner in so much joy.

However, it was inevitable for Koushiro to blink. As he reopened his eyes, the gleeful expression he had was replaced by a different one. His eyes became half closed, his eyebrows were furrowed, his smile vanished and his mouth stayed half open.

What was Koushiro doing, wasting time admiring fulgurites when Sora was possibly in danger? When she had been entrapped in a dark world to protect him? For a couple of minutes, his mind had completely erased her. How could he have let that happen? What kind of person forgets someone because of glass?

The heavy sensation in his chest returned. He could not waste time with meaningless things. Koushiro had to completely dedicate himself to help Sora. He turned his attention to the screen on the bracelet. There were no buttons to press. Should the boy just wait until Otae came in the reach of the tracking device? He could not waste time like that! He did not know whether the cloaked figure he saw in the darkness was real or not. Regardless of that, he could not stop worrying.

Koushiro began to walk aimlessly. Tentomon was about to fly after him but, as soon as the digimon set flight, the wind carried him away. The boy heard his friend scream and ran after him. Luckily, Tentomon was able to grab a branch of fulgurite a few dozens of meters away.

Not only was the sound of thunder becoming louder and the wind stronger, lightning began to strike the sand in multiple places. Tentomon managed to make his way to the space under the trunk and among the supporting legs of the structure. He could see Koushiro running in his direction. The digimon wanted to fly to where the boy was but he knew that the wind would carry his light body away if he attempted that.

"Koushiro-han, hurry!" Tentomon urged his friend.

Koushiro was relieved to see that Tentomon was safe. The lightning was striking spots closer to him. They were so powerful that felt like small explosions. Ten steps away from the digimon's hiding place, the screen on the bracelet began to make a buzzing noise. Koushiro looked at it and found a radar in the screen, with a red spot approaching his location.

Lightning struck the sand five meters away from him. The impact made Koushiro lose his balance and fall with his face on the sand. He looked at the screen and saw the spot getting increasingly closer to him.

"Koushiro-han, your hair is up!" Tentomon shouted. Koushiro touched his hair and realized that several threads of it were getting straightened and pointing to the sky. _The air is full of electricity!_ Koushiro thought, standing up as quickly as he could and attempting to reach the hiding place in time.

But there was no time.

The brightest light he had ever seen. Time slowed down and there was a sensation of weightlessness and a huge explosion right before everything became suddenly quiet.

When he came to himself, he was on his knees and his palms on the sand, facing down. Shaking violently, Koushiro glanced to his right and saw someone there. The stranger wore a long and dirty brown cape and was holding a metallic bar in their right hand, which had a purple tattoo of two pairs of concentric circles connected by a bridge on its back. The child felt dizzy and passed out.

Koushiro was back in the dark world but this time it was not completely dark. Red light came from the sky and, a few meters in his front, the figure wearing the dark cloak was a couple of steps away from Birdramon, who was trapped in a wall of ice.

They paid no attention to him, as if he was not there.

"She failed again, just like all the other times." The figure spoke gently, with a feminine voice.

"Stay away from me!" Birdramon hissed as tears streamed down her face.

"You just have to say it and I'll let you go." The figure lifted her right hand and caressed the monster's beak. "You can leave this torment and go back to the Digital World any time you want."

"I'm not going anywhere without Sora!" Birdramon stated ferociously, making the stranger retreat her hand.

"She doesn't deserve yours or anyone's sacrifice." The stranger affirmed.

"I can save her!" Birdramon cried. "I know my words can reach Sora-"

"That girl is too far gone in her own ignorance." The cloaked person stated. Suddenly, she turned her face to Koushiro's direction. The only thing he could see beyond the darkness under the hood was a pair of red eyes that glowed faintly. "There's no salvation for her!"

Koushiro woke up, scared, facing a floor covered by papers. The boy was not sure if what he had seen had been a simple nightmare or something else. He could feel a vibration coming from below. Thunder reverberated through the place. The kid sat up and found Tentomon sleeping by his side.

"He flew after you after that lightning descended." A voice came from a few meters in his front. "The wind would've carried him away had I not caught him with my whip. That thing was soaked in sleeping medicine; your friend won't wake up too soon."

Koushiro stood up slowly. The boy still had his computer backpack and the brown bag he had received earlier. He could see the back of the person sitting in front of a white board filled with equations. She had silver hair badly arranged in a bun. He approached her slowly, glancing around. The place was dark and broad, with some small windows dispersed around it, from which the lights of the thunderstorm outside came. Metal pieces of different shapes and sizes formed the irregular walls. The room was round and the ceiling was high. Papers and books covered the entire floor and white boards were placed on it and on the walls.

"Are you Otae-san?" Koushiro asked in low voice, once he was right behind the adult. He noticed a pair of red goggles hanging on the board in which she was working. Without turning around, she lifted her right hand and showed the bracelet the boy had been wearing before in her grip. On the back of her hand, the purple tattoo was visible.

"Kanda sent you." She stated, dryly. "I saw your digivice. He brought you here, didn't he?"

"Kanda-san said that the crests didn't work-"

"Oh, so we've been replaced!" Her voice became suddenly higher, startling the boy. "Are you here alone? Where are the other four? There has to be one for each of us, right?"

"I came by myself-" He began.

"What's your crest?" She inquired.

"Knowledge." He informed in low voice.

"Ha…" She laughed, but there was no sign of joy in her voice. "The crest for shitty human beings who don't have redeemable qualities, am I right?"

Koushiro was shocked by the woman's rudeness. Otae's words, however, resonated in his mind. Their crest did not represent a virtue like honesty or love. It was an indication of how much information they possessed. Knowledge itself was more of a matter of fact than a quality. What really mattered was how they could use what they knew. For Koushiro, the purpose of his intelligence had been clear for years.

His knowledge was useful to help people. Koushiro's skills could be applied in many ways. People praised him for what he could do, which caught him by surprise at first. He was an annoyance when he merely talked about things he found interesting, there was no longer a need for him to be informed of that fact. Even when people did not say it to his face, he could listen to the whispers in the classroom and the muffled laughs the other children had while looking at him using his computer. But when the tests were coming or there were school projects, or simply if someone had a computer problem, Koushiro's help was asked. A warm feeling spread inside him when he was able to do something for someone else. In those moments, the boy was not a bothersome presence, but a person who had something to offer.

What Otae had said made sense. Nevertheless, there was no time to reflect on his flaws. He had to help someone.

"Otae-san…" Koushiro spoke. "I came here because I need your help."

"Of course you need." She murmured. "Solving problems is what I do. _'Help me with my home work, Otae-san_ , _' 'help me making a cake, Otae-chan,' 'I bet you can fix the computer, Ne-'"_

Her voice broke and she did not finish the sentence. The boy wondered if she was going to say 'Nee-chan.' Koushiro felt his heart get heavier. The woman had lost someone she actually knew and was sure to have loved. He could not understand her pain. He lacked that basic empathy most people were born with. It was usually hard for him to figure out what intentions people had behind their behaviors. Worse than that, sometimes he miscalculated how his words and actions would affect other people.

Like one time when one of the members of the soccer club was upset because he had not made it to the line-up of the next game. Koushiro believed that the boy would feel better if he was told that he just had to practice more. The other kid shouted at him, called Koushiro some horrible names and told the redhead kid that someone like him could never understand other people's feelings. Sora had heard the commotion and came to resolve the situation. The girl asked that kid to calm down. She told him that his effort was valuable and that the reason he had not been chosen was because there were too many people working hard as well, but that he should not give up because of it. Koushiro saw the boy who had been so angry minutes before smiling at Sora and thanking for her words.

People like Sora were capable of understanding clearly the sentiments of others. They knew the exact words they had to say to make someone feel better. People like Koushiro were faulty in that department. Therefore, it was futile for him to search for words of consolation for the previous bearer of his crest.

"I'm very sorry." Koushiro murmured. "But I really need your help, Otae-san."

"Heh." The woman had a dry laugh. "You go straight to the point. Okay, then. Tell me what you want."

The boy sighed, a little relieved.

"I need information on the dark orbs that were used as prisons in Seraphimon's time. Sora-san is trapped in one."

"Sora? The Sky?" The woman inquired, lowering her hand and placing it on her lap.

"Not the sky, a human girl." Koushiro corrected.

"A friend of yours?" Otae asked.

Koushiro hesitated. Sora was a nice sempai in the soccer club and looked after everybody. She did so much for everybody… she cared so much that she did not think about her own well-being. And that had been precisely the reason behind her current situation. Sora was concerned about Takeru and would not let him go to the pyramid. When Koushiro was in danger, she sacrificed herself to rescue him. She was selfless, noble… and yet she was always so harsh to herself… she was so worried about how other people would perceive her. Koushiro was not supposed to know any of that. He should never have seen more than what she had chosen to show. If he could have imagined that he would invade Sora's most private thoughts by holding that mirror, if he could have stopped himself from doing that, a lot of heartache would have been spared for the girl and she surely would be in a better place now. She would have been happier knowing that nobody could see her inner darkness.

Koushiro and Sora had never been close and they were never meant to be close. He was just a random underclassman like many others. It was true that Taichi had taken an interest in him and that had the consequence of Sora spending time with the two boys. But all that they ever had were meaningless conversations, mostly initiated by Taichi bringing up subjects to test the little boy's knowledge. Sora had never intended to be Koushiro's friend. That was clear. It was right. She treated him as well as any other child and Koushiro treated her as politely as anyone else. They were not supposed to be friends, yet Koushiro barged into her privacy and broke her heart. She should resent him deeply for that. Instead, she saved him.

"Sora-san is a good person." Koushiro said. "She's caring, sensitive… immensely kind."

"What's her crest?" Otae asked in a murmur, as if afraid of the answer.

"Love." The boy replied.

The woman's body trembled at the sound of that word.

"Kanda-san has been looking for you." Koushiro told her.

"I know." The woman replied.

"Why don't you show yourself to him?" The child asked.

"I have nothing to say to him, to Homura or to Tamaki." Otae affirmed in a melancholic tone. "What would be the point of meeting any of them?"

"Kanda-san is concerned about you." Koushiro informed. "I believe they all must be."

"That's their mistake." Otae's voice was so low that it was difficult to listen, especially because of the thunders outside. "Nobody should waste time thinking about me."

Koushiro felt his eyes getting humid.

"Thank you for what you did." The boy said. "You saved me from that lightning."

"I can recover from any injury and you can't. It was the logical thing to do." She muttered. "His sunflowers were ruined, though. That was pitiful."

"His?" Koushiro asked, looking around. "Is there anyone else here?"

Otae took her left hand to her chest and said nothing. Koushiro went to her side and noticed that she had put the bracelet on her left wrist and was now holding a pendant in the hand on her chest. In the object, there was a yellow rock with a drawing of the sun rising on the sea.

Koushiro examined the woman. She had big blue eyes, but they were different from Takeru's; they had an icy streak to them. Her skin was sickly pale. Her hair was messy and had an uncanny dirtiness to it, as if it had not been washed in a long time. Her jersey and pants had dirt stains. She was barefooted.

"That symbol is different from the one on the back of your right hand." Koushiro commented.

"This is Shinsuke's crest." Otae sounded defensive, not looking at the boy. "Don't compare it to that ugly thing I used as the floor for this flying piece of junk."

"We're flying…" Koushiro thought aloud. "Did you build this ship? And the crest is serving as its floor?"

"I just put trash together to hide myself in the clouds." She said with indifference, putting the pendant under her jersey. "The sky here always has colossal clouds and thunderstorms. And there's a sunflower field not too far away. It's a good place to think. Nobody is around."

"It's good to be alone." The boy agreed. "Not having to deal with people… no worries… it's peaceful."

"You're a stupid brat who has no social skills at all, aren't you?" Otae inquired. "An insensitive loser everybody is better without."

Koushiro could not deny the truth in those words. He was taken by surprise when the woman turned to him and added, showing him a smug grin:

"Almost as bad as me."

Koushiro blushed at that statement.

"So, the sky child is in a dark orb?" Otae brought the subject back.

Koushiro was assaulted by guilt. For the second time in that day, Sora had escaped his mind. What was the matter with him? How could he allow himself to get distracted again?

"Yes!" He almost yelled. "Do you know how I can save her? Any information is helpful!"

Otae studied the boy with a serious expression for a couple of minutes, scratching her head. Then, she told him in an apologetic tone:

"That girl can't be saved."

"What?" Koushiro gasped. What was Otae saying? Of course Sora could be saved! He only had to know how to do it! If he had enough information, it was only a matter of time to get her out.

"For all I know, those spheres were created to entrap its victims in purgatories." Otae explained. "Their purpose is to force the victims to confront all the darkness in their souls. To overcome that darkness is the only way to break free, but nobody has ever been able to do that." Otae explained.

"Overcome the darkness?" The boy was confused. What did that mean? Was he supposed to just wait for Sora to find her way out of that situation alone? "What happens if she can't do that?"

"She'll be imprisoned for all eternity, unable to move on." Otae explained. "Obsessive thoughts, despair, fear, hatred, self-loathing… the orb feeds on those things and creates a perfect nightmare for the victim. You can think of the orb as a private torture chamber."

"Torture… eternity…?!" Koushiro's entire body trembled and was engulfed by coldness. "But it can't… no… it can't…"

"There's nothing you can do about it." Otae told him.

"NO!" Koushiro shouted, startling the other. "There has to be something I can do! There has to be a way! I can't just sit around and abandon Sora-san!"

Koushiro was breathing rapidly, feeling as if his brain was boiling in search of a solution.

"The files!" The boy yelled. "The documents you read about the orbs! Where are they?!"

"There's nothing useful for you in them." Otae remarked.

"I'm not going to give up!" Koushiro made a promise to himself.

Otae glanced at a spot under the board and then glanced back at the boy

"I'm not going to stop you from looking for them." Otae said. "But don't count on my help."

Koushiro felt his heart sink as he looked at the amount of papers spread around. How many were there? How long would he take to find the information he needed?

"Please, help me to look for them!" Koushiro pleaded. "I can't waste time! I need to save Sora-san!"

"Why should I care about some kid I don't even know? I have my own problems to solve!" Otae spoke harshly.

"How can you just ignore someone who needs your help?" Koushiro was confused. He had believed that they had things in common. But if the woman was anything like him, she would never act like that. She would never refuse to assist someone.

Otae did not reply. Koushiro turned around and looked down. He could not even begin to calculate how many papers and books there were on the floor. But there was no time to worry about that. He kneeled and started picking a paper after another, searching for the word _orb_. He examined more than one paper at a time and then began to grab nearby books as well. The letters danced in front of him; he could not see the word he was looking for.

What could be happening to Sora at that moment? Since the dream with Birdramon, he was scared of blinking and seeing something else. Could he be linked to the orb? When Koushiro woke up in Homura's base, he felt compelled to head in a specific direction. He did not have any logical reason for that, but he felt that he would find Sora by doing it. But if he had found the orb, what would he have done? Would he just let himself be entrapped and become another source of preoccupation for Sora? He needed a plan! He needed to know how to get her out safely!

"When did you come to this world?" Otae asked behind him.

"Five days ago." Koushiro replied automatically, without looking away from the many papers he was examining at once.

"Five minutes ago, then." Otae muttered.

"No! Five days! What are you trying to do? I don't have time for you games!" Koushiro yelled as small tears gathered in his eyes.

"I'm not playing games with you." Otae explained. "One day in the Digital World is one minute in the human world. Although it felt like an eternity to us, our final battle against the Queen took place in the same day we arrived, August 3rd of 1995."

Koushiro stopped paying attention to the papers and turned to the woman, who was facing the white board. One day in the Digital World was one minute in his world. The original chosen children had arrived almost four years before them. Sixty minutes in one hour, 1,440 minutes in a day, 525,600 minutes in a year, 2,102,400 minutes in four years, 2,102,400 days divided by 365 was roughly…

"Five thousand, seven hundred and sixty years." Koushiro muttered, in shock.

"So you're from 1999?" Otae asked with indifference.

"But that's… how…?" The boy wanted to make too many questions at once.

"We have bodies that keep regenerating, no matter what kind of wound we suffer." She replied. "Bodies that don't need sustenance or rest. Bodies that can't die."

"Immortality…" Koushiro murmured, widening his eyes. "That's incredible!" He exclaimed. "Thousands of years of discoveries! Thousands of years worthy of knowledge! Is your memory enhanced? A human brain wouldn't be able to remember a specific date after-"

"That was my brother's twelfth birthday." Otae informed.

There was a freezing feeling coming from his spine and spreading to his body. He was so stupid!

"I'm sorry." Koushiro said, ashamed.

"Weren't you shouting at me not long ago?" Otae had annoyance in her voice.

"I heard what happened to your brother." Koushiro was searching for a way to properly apologize for his indelicacy.

"It was his birthday." She recalled. "I had gotten him a pair of goggles the year before. I wanted to make something special and there was a broken computer in the orphanage. Everybody was so enthusiastic when I fixed it. But when I turned the thing on… those stupid little machines came out. And then everything…"

"I'm sorry." Koushiro repeated.

"It doesn't matter." She dismissed.

"What happened wasn't your fault." He told her.

"I said it doesn't matter!" Otae stated. "It won't be a problem soon!"

 _What does she mean by that?_ Koushiro wondered. He glanced at the boards filled with formulas and diverse equations around, attempting to figure out what the woman was trying to do. His eyes felt dry and he blinked. A glimpse of the dark world flashed before him; the mysterious cloaked person was right in front of him. The boy quickly reopened his eyes. He had no time to lose and restarted his search.

When Tentomon woke up, he found his partner in a hole. Apparently, Koushiro had dug it by removing books and papers from the floor. The last time he had seen his partner, it was right after the lightning came and was redirected by a metal bar held by a stranger wearing a cape. Koushiro fainted and Tentomon flew immediately to his partner but was caught by the wind. The stranger pulled him to the ground. Before the insect monster passed out, he saw three burned sunflowers on the sand.

"Koushiro-han, are you okay? Where are we?" He asked, approaching the boy. "What are you doing?"

"Otae-san said that the files about the dark orbs are somewhere among these documents." Koushiro replied, closing his eyes and massaging his temples with a pained expression. He reopened them quickly and Tentomon noticed they were red. Was the boy keeping his eyes open for too long?

"I'm going to help you." The digimon said, picking a few books up. Several hours passed; the sounds of the storm were gone and the floor and walls were no longer trembling. The digimon came across a paper that had a drawing of a tree emerging from a lake and its fruits, which were labeled _prophecy apples_. Tentomon gulped. Piyomon had told them about her nightmare, in which Sora was swallowed by a sea of darkness. It had come true. He glanced at his partner, who was examining three open books at once. _This is not the time to worry about this_ , he thought, _I don't understand what that dream was but I'll protect Koushiro-han._

When it got darker, small multicolored balls of light descended from the ceiling and hovered a few meters above the floor.

"Take a look at those!" Tentomon had marvel in his voice.

"I can't take my eyes from these documents! I need to find the files about the orbs!" Koushiro spoke with impatience.

"But those lights are pretty! I think you'd like to look at them." The digital monster insisted.

"Tentomon, please, don't distract me now!" Koushiro's voice came out harshly. The digimon took a closer look at the boy. He was leaning on the open books in front of him. His trembling hands leafed through the pages of each of them intermittently. The muscles around his eyes and mouth were twitching. Koushiro kept his eyes the most open he could.

Did he even notice what he was doing?

"Put those books aside and rest for five minutes." Tentomon ordered. He was not going to waste time with politeness.

"I can't rest now! I haven't found anything yet!" Koushiro rejected his order.

"You're overworking yourself!" Tentomon told him.

"I'm going to be fine!" The boy dismissed.

"I'm concerned about you!" The monster raised his voice.

"I CAN'T STOP! WHY DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?!" Koushiro shouted, glaring at his partner. "I DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY TO TAKE A BREAK WHILE SORA-SAN-"

"YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO LOST A FRIEND, YOU KNOW?" Tentomon shouted too. "Piyomon has been part of my life since ever! I'm worried about her! All the other digimon are worried about her! But we have to keep it together, you know?! We have to stay strong for you guys!"

Koushiro stared at Tentomon, astonished. Then he lowered his head and covered his face with both his hands.

"I'm the worst." The child muttered. "I hadn't even considered that."

"It's alright."

"It's not alright!" Koushiro cried. "I always do this! All the time! I have no idea how to deal with others' feelings! No matter what I do, I always say the wrong things! I always do the wrong things!"

"Koushiro-han, don't be like that. I'm sorry!" Tentomon tried to amend the situation.

"I don't know how to do this right." The boy confessed. "I try so hard not to be like this but I can't help it! I can't avoid being an awful person!"

"You're not awful!" Tentomon protested.

"Yes, I am! I've always been aware of it!" Koushiro reiterated. "I never knew how to deal with people! They are too difficult to understand! So I tried to preemptively stop myself from hurting others! I tried not to dwell on difficult subjects with other people but… even by doing that… I just made everything worse…"

"Are you talking about something specific?" Tentomon inquired. Koushiro looked up to him; the boy's face was wet by sweat and tears.

"I t-told Sora-san about my concerns regarding the orb." Koushiro sobbed. "I told her that I thought that, because of that mirror, that the orb could target me and that we should tell Kanda-san about it. But she was sure that I was worrying about nothing and that it was not worthy putting Takeru-kun in my place over a small possibility. I was not convinced, Tentomon, but I didn't want to pressure her! I didn't want to insist on a subject that I knew was hurtful to her! So I told myself it was going to be okay… I l-lied to myself…"

"Koushiro-han…"

"What should I have done?!" Koushiro asked. "Should I have insisted on that conversation and hurt her further? Should I have gone behind her back and told Kanda-san about the memory I saw in the mirror? Should I have told the others? What should I have done? What was the right thing to do?!"

"Sora-han knew?" Tentomon's voice was cold and piercing. "She knew the risk you were putting yourself in and agreed to it?"

"It's not like that!" Koushiro said. "Sora-san didn't actually believe I was going to be in real danger!"

"She was willing to sacrifice you!"

"It's more complicated than that!"

"Why are you defending her?!"

"SHE SAVED ME! SHE SACRIFICED HERSELF TO SAVE ME!"

"SHE PUT YOU IN THAT SITUATION TO BEGIN WITH! SHE DIDN'T CARE ENOUGH-"

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY SHE DIDN'T CARE!" Koushiro stood up, clenching his fists and looking Tentomon in the eyes. "YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT HER!"

"AND YOU DO?!" Tentomon questioned.

"I'VE BEEN IN HER MIND!" Koushiro shouted.

They stared at each other for a couple of unbearable minutes.

"Why do you have to be like this?" Tentomon had a depressed voice. "She did a bad thing to you. Why can't you just let yourself be mad at her?"

The boy lowered his head, breaking eye contact, and replied:

"I know I shouldn't be."

Otae approached them, carrying a few papers.

"You should've told me that you had shared a mirror with that girl, you moron." She scolded Koushiro, handing him the papers. "I couldn't guess there were still mirrors spread around this world."

"You had the files all along?!" Tentomon had anger in his voice. "You had them and you made us look for them for hours?!"

"I thought you had a lost cause and that the boy would eventually give up." There was no sign of sorrow in Otae's voice.

Tentomon looked at Koushiro, waiting to see how the boy was going to react. The child simply stared at the papers given by the woman, without protesting about the disrespectful way she had treated him. The digimon was not surprised, despite still being engulfed with sadness. Koushiro could be outraged when someone tried to stop him from doing something he believed to be of help to other people. He could get upset when someone showed concern for him. However, the human would not get angry for his own sake. He would not confront another person just because his feelings had been hurt. Tentomon had known that since he had been so easily forgiven by his partner. That knowledge broke his heart.

"This is…" Koushiro murmured, perplexed.

"Nanomon had created the mirrors as a countermeasure to the dark orbs." Otae explained. "Those are objects that store someone's memories. When someone else touches it, the previous memories are transferred to this person and their memories are registered in the mirror."

"These papers say that if a person is trapped in an orb, someone who had shared a mirror with them would be able to enter the sphere and leave it at will." Koushiro was thinking aloud. "Then… if I had been captured, I could've just left the orb? Sora-san sacrificed herself for nothing?"

That could not be right. It had to be a cruel joke. Koushiro left the hole in the amount of books and stood up. He looked to Otae expecting her to give him a different explanation. However, the woman simply stared at him, with sadness. The boy turned to Tentomon, but the monster did not say anything.

"You already have the solution for your problem." Otae informed.

"You said that Sora-san could only get out of there by overcoming the darkness! How me being able to get in the orb would help if I can't bring her out?!"

"You can talk to her!" Tentomon suggested. "As long as you leave before things get dangerous, you could explain the situation to Sora-han and help her out with her problems."

"What do you mean by help her out? What do you expect me to say to her?!" Koushiro snapped. "I need an objective plan! I need a sure way to save her!"

"You can't save her!" Otae stated. "Only she can save herself! All you can do is give her emotional support so she-"

"But I can't do that! I'm not capable of that!" Koushiro cried, letting the papers escape from his fingers. He held his head with both hands and looked down. He was not sensitive or empathetic! He had terrible people skills! It was impossible for him to comfort anyone, especially Sora! The boy could not comprehend her problems! It was impossible for him to understand why the girl was so angry at her mother! Koushiro would never argue with his parents! He would never oppose them! He was grateful for them. He had to be grateful. Sora, on the other hand, did not have that need.

Sora should not doubt that she deserved love. Koushiro did not think he deserved anything and was more than glad for whatever he received. They could not be more different. If Koushiro's words reaching her was Sora's only hope, then everything was lost.

"I can't…" He murmured. "It's impossible for me… I can't…"

"You have to believe in yourself, Koushiro-han!" Tentomon tried to cheer him up. "Don't you remember how Kanda-han was surprised about the orb targeting you despite you seeing only one memory of Sora-han? That must mean that the two of you are close!"

"One memory?" Otae was surprised. "For only one memory to do that… you must have a similar personality to the girl's."

"What the… what are you talking about? Of course I don't!" Koushiro protested, glaring at Otae. "You know nothing about Sora-san! She's kind! She always worries too much about everybody! She keeps her problems to herself so nobody is concerned about her! She works so hard… she tries so hard to be good! And despite all that, she has such a low view of herself… she…" The child's voice became lower and his anger was diminishing. "Sora-san doesn't want to let others down."

"Just like you." Tentomon said, sadly. Shocked, Koushiro moved his head to his friend's direction and saw the insect monster shedding tears.

"What…?" The boy asked.

"You really don't see it, do you?" Tentomon had a resigned voice. "All those qualities you ascribed to Sora apply you as well."

"You're mistaken!" Koushiro assumed a defensive tone. "I have nothing like that in me!"

"You'd see it if you looked inside you." Tentomon told him. "If you _really_ looked into your heart, with no fear."

 _But I know what I have inside_ , Koushiro thought, anxious. He knew he had nothing admirable in himself! He knew he had no worth aside from how he could help others! He knew… like he _knew_ that his parents took care of him just out of kindness and not love… like he _knew_ Jyou hated him… like he _knew_ that he had ruined his friendship with Tentomon. However, all those things he had believed to be facts turned out to be completely wrong. The reality that his mind had built did not correspond to the actual world. His biased views distorted that information. His dark emotions… his obsessive thoughts…

If his personality was so similar to Sora's that it took only one memory to activate the orb, did that mean that they had common virtues and flaws? Sora's self-loathing, self-destructiveness, the way she blamed herself for everything… if those traits were similar to his, perhaps they had also been born from a distorted understanding of the world. Maybe Sora's entire reality had also been built upon lies that her mind invented.

Koushiro stared at his partner for almost two minutes. A paradoxical feeling wrapped him as he finally reached the conclusion that should have been obvious from the start. Sora seemed to be completely different from him because the boy could only focus on her good qualities while he was incapable of seeing those same qualities in himself. And maybe Sora did the same in regards to him. He still was not sure if he could really help the girl. But now it was as if he had begun to walk in the right direction.

"Maybe…" The boy murmured. "If I talked to her, maybe… it could work."

It was subtle, but Tentomon saw a smile in Koushiro's lips. There was still doubt in his eyes, but he had moved from complete pessimism to allowing a small hope to sprout in his heart. Tentomon felt warm on the inside. He had said something that actually made his friend feel better.

"If you already resolved this, you'd better leave my ship and go help that girl." Otae remarked, walking away. "I could get you a disc or just open the ceiling for you. If your partner evolves, he can fly you away, right?"

"Yes." Koushiro said, looking up. Hundreds of little colorful balls of light danced under the ceiling. The child opened his mouth in awe. Their movements were uncoordinated; some were faster than others and they all managed to avoid hitting anything. "What are those?"

"Desert fireflies." Otae explained, searching for something on the right wall, behind two boards. "They come through the windows and fissures of the ship. There are thousands of those things outside."

"But where do they come from? How do they survive in the desert? Is there enough moist for them? How do they emit different types of light? How-?" Koushiro was getting excited.

"I don't know and I don't care about it!" The woman said, irritated. "They're just a nuisance distracting me from my work."

"Why do you have to be so rude to Koushiro-han?!" Tentomon was annoyed.

"What are you working on?" Koushiro asked in a polite tone. "Most of the papers and books I've seen are about Theoretical Physics."

"It won't be just theory once I'm finished." Otae smirked.

Koushiro frowned.

"What are you trying to do?" He asked, seriously.

"I'm going to fix everything." She said, focusing on the wall.

"What do you mean?" Koushiro asked in low voice.

The woman turned to him and looked into his eyes, showing him a sad smile as she replied:

"I'm going to fix the past."

"W-what?!" Tentomon was taken aback.

"That's impossible!" Koushiro affirmed.

"Just because it hasn't been done before, it doesn't mean that it's impossible!" Otae stated.

"In this case it is!" The boy insisted. "If it were possible, don't you think we would have time-travelers visiting the past?!"

"Maybe I'm the only person who will ever do this." Otae theorized. "I just need to go back once."

"For how long have you been working on this?" Koushiro inquired.

"Ever since Shinsuke..." Otae could not finish. "I'm perfecting the equations… I'm almost there; I just need to figure a few things out."

"For how long have you been trying to figure those things out?" Koushiro asked. "Centuries?"

"I have all time at my disposal! It doesn't matter how long I take!" Otae shrugged it off.

"Of course it does!" Koushiro slightly raised his voice. "Civilizations rose and fell during the amount of time you spent on this project. Have you not considered that, maybe, the reason why you can't reach the solution you want is because it doesn't exist?"

"I'm going to figure it out!" Otae's voice became graver and more sinister. "That's what I do! That's all I've ever done! I might not have been the most supportive, sensitive or caring person, but I have always been clever!"

"I don't doubt you." Koushiro said. "You could be the most intelligent human to ever exist but you still wouldn't be able to change the past! It's immutable! Have you never heard that time is like a frozen river-"

"Don't you lecture me on Einstein!" Otae shouted. "What did he know? Just because he said that, it doesn't have to be true!"

"Okay, let's assume that you can really pull this off…" Koushiro pondered. "Let's assume that you manage to go back in time. Have you ever heard of the time machine paradox? If you build a machine to change something in your past, the reason that made you go back in time ceases to exist. What would happen? What if the whole world is destroyed by that paradox?"

"It's worth the risk." Otae affirmed.

"But…" Tentomon was shaking. "If the world is destroyed, everybody would die!"

"But if I succeed, none of _us_ would have come to this world." Otae explained. "None of those things would've happened… Shinsuke…"

"Your brother's life is not more important-" Koushiro began.

"SHUT UP!" Otae roared. "Why are you opposing me?! If I changed the past, it'd be good for you as well, don't you understand?! Kanda would've never brought you kids here! The girl you're so desperate to save would've never been put in danger!"

The woman noticed how Koushiro's eyes widened and his face paled. That motivated her to continue her rhetoric.

"You must've been through a lot of crap, right?" She inquired, taking a step in the boy's direction. "Think about all the tragedies, all the pain and all the heartbreak this world has brought to you. Are you honestly telling me that, if you had the chance to stop that misery from ever happening, you would not take it? Would you not change your past?"

Koushiro blinked. The flashes of the cloaked figured appeared but he resisted the urge of reopening his eyes. Sora was trapped in that hell, being tortured by her own thoughts and emotions. There was no guarantee that he would be able to help her. And even if he did, she probably would not return to be the person she was before the experience.

Had they never come to the Digital World, Sora and Koushiro would still have a distant and formal relationship of kouhai-sempai. The way he came to know about the girl's secrets was regrettable, but would it have been better if Sora had succeeded in hiding her true self from everybody forever? Would that not be too great of a burden for her? When they talked in the underground temple, despite Sora being hurt, she was grateful that Koushiro did not reject her. He dared to say that she felt better after that conversation. But then, none of them insisted on the subject anymore. Maybe unconsciously, they drifted apart. The good memory of that moment of intimacy had been buried under their fear of letting someone get truly close to themselves.

Sora wanted to be seen a certain way. Koushiro did not want to be a nuisance. Had they never come to the Digital World, they would have kept living their lives like that, making everybody believe that nothing was wrong while they were drowning in self-deprecation. In Koushiro's case, he would have never known that Jyou cared for him or how much they had in common; they would have never tried to be friends. Mimi and Koushiro would still be classmates who only shared 'good-morning' and 'have a nice day.' Takeru and he would have probably never talked to each other at all.

Koushiro and Tentomon would never have met each other.

It was strange. Monzaemon, Homeostasis, Devimon, Fate, the dark orb… there had been so many terrible experiences for him and the other kids since they had arrived in that place. Yet, the possibility of erasing those experiences did not bring him any joy.

"I wouldn't do it." Koushiro replied, opening his eyes.

"Koushiro-han…" Tentomon whispered.

"Liar!" Otae accused the boy.

"I'm not lying!" Koushiro stated. "I don't like many things that happened to me and the others. But those bad experiences don't take away from the good ones we had!"

"What good experiences?!" The woman shouted. "Being forced to fight for this horrible world?! Losing the ones you love?!"

"The world isn't horrible!" Koushiro protested. "We're flying in a ship that is a miracle of Engineering! There are multicolored fireflies giving us light! There are giant fulgurites that defy everything that I've ever learned about them! This world has monsters that can become completely different life forms in a matter of seconds! It has dimensions inside dimensions, worm-holes, computer codes that can mold reality itself! There are so many incredible things to see! And instead of exploring them, you chose to chase after ghosts. You chose to delude yourself."

"I don't care about this world." Otae stated. "What's the point of exploring the world if Shinsuke is gone? What joy could I take from it when my friends had their lives destroyed? All I care about… all I've ever cared about were four people!"

"You still have three of them!" Koushiro pointed out. "You can still see them! Talk to them!"

"I can't!" Otae stepped back. "I can't face them after everything… after all this time! I can't! I know that-"

"You know nothing!" Koushiro cut her off. "That's just your fear talking! If you let your fear control you, if you let your fear distort the world for you, you won't ever get to know anything!"

The ship started to shake violently. Tentomon noticed a purple glow coming from his partner's digivice.

"Stop it!" Otae pleaded as she watched all the white boards from the walls falling. "You're activating the crest! If that thing returns to its normal size, the ship will be destroyed! My research will be lost! Everything I've worked so hard for more than five thousand years will be gone!"

"Let it go, then." Koushiro said, offering his right hand to the woman. "Break free from the lies you've been telling yourself for so long."

Tentomon felt his body being filled with energy.

"Tentomon evolves to… KABUTERIMON!"

The wasp monster flew above the pair of humans and lowered one of his hands between them, in a way that both Koushiro and Otae could climb it. Koushiro jumped on to the hand. The woman turned her back to them and ran to the board in which Shinsuke's goggles were hanging. Before she could get there, she felt the books and papers under her feet descend abruptly.

A small rock came from below the sea of information and was absorbed by Koushiro's digivice.

Otae was being dragged by the whirlpool of papers, books and boards. She lost sight of her brother's goggles. She was torn between locating them and trying to save any of the documents that should be dispersing through the hole below and taken away by the wind.

"Otae-san!" Koushiro called her. "Please, come with us!"

"I'm not going to abandon him!" She promised. The woman, however, had stopped trying to resist the whirlpool. She was allowing herself to sink, slowly. Her arms were still free but she refused to move any of them. She would not grab the shaking hand that boy was offering her.

"You brother isn't here! He hasn't been here for ages and he's not coming back!" Koushiro shouted. "You can still save yourself!"

Save herself? Had she not told him that she could recover from any injury? She would not die when falling from the ship and being dragged by the wind, even if she hit pieces of metal or was thrown against hard glass. She would not die if she was buried under the sand and stayed there indefinitely. She would not die if her limbs were torn apart or if her throat was cut. Her body would just keep fixing itself forever. Otae had all of eternity to live and she did not have any choice but to be forced on that path. She was condemned to live and never see her brother again.

If it really was impossible to save Shinsuke, if it really was impossible to save her friends, there was only suffering reserved for her future. An endless cycle of pain she would never be able to break from.

A giant hand grabbed her and put her next to Koushiro, on another of the wasp's hands. Otae tried to go back to the whirlpool. But Koushiro grabbed her by the right arm before she could escape. Why would he not let her body be torn apart? Why not let her be broken down, even if she was going to be forcefully put together again? What cruel person would deny her the opportunity to partake on that fleeting physical pain and be distracted from the truly horrendous one that devoured her soul?

"Please, Otae-san!" The boy begged, letting a couple of tears fall from his eyes.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" The woman screamed, trying to break free.

"You did all you could! You've done more than enough for him!" Koushiro told her.

"BUT I SHOULD'VE DONE MORE!" Otae cried out, stopping resisting. She looked down as big tears fell from her eyes. "I SHOULD'VE TAKEN BETTER CARE OF HIM! I SHOULD'VE STOPPED THAT FROM HAPPENING!"

"You couldn't have known!" Koushiro told her.

"I SHOULD'VE KNOWN!" She roared. "I s-should've… I s-should have known… I should h-have anticipated… I was supposed to be intelligent! I was supposed to solve any problem! But if I can't… If I can't do anything… if I can't help anyone, THEN WHAT IS THE POINT OF ME?!"

Koushiro gulped. What he was witnessing felt so familiar to him. He could recognize himself in the woman's anguished cries. Differently from other times he had seen people being overemotional, in that moment Koushiro could relate to the person going through that. And because he could see himself in someone else, truths that should have been obvious became clear in his mind.

"Maybe people don't have 'points.'" Koushiro said. "Maybe all we can do is try our best and move on when we fail."

Otae looked up to him with her flooded eyes.

"If that's how it is, what do we do with this pain, then?" She asked, placing her right hand over her chest.

The walls of the ship began to break apart. There was no longer any book in sight underneath. Below them, there was only sky. The ceiling began to fall in their direction.

For Koushiro, time seemed to have slowed down as he thought on an answer for Otae's question. It struck him as lightning:

"We learn from it."

As those words left Koushiro's lips, his digivice shone more brightly and purple light overtook his partner.

"Kabuterimon super evolves to… ATLURKABUTERIMON!"

The magnificent giant beetle smashed the decaying ceiling with its colossal horn and flew above the clouds, holding the two humans with all his care. The sight of the starry sky was breathtaking.

"It's beautiful." Atlurkabuterimon said, gazing at the stars.

Otae admired them in silence, feeling as if all energy had left her body. She did not remember the last time she had looked at a sky like that.

"Starlight…" Koushiro said with a smile on his lips. "I just remembered something very random."

"Facts about stars?" The digimon asked, interested.

"No." Koushiro spoke with nostalgia. "When I was three or four years old, my Mom took me to a birthday. There was a Magician there, wearing a top hat and shooting glitter from her wand. She called it _starlight_."

"That's quite the underwhelming story." Otae remarked.

"I had believed her back then." Koushiro said. "I even asked her to teach me how to create magic. But she said that was impossible."

"Because magic doesn't exist." The woman noted.

"No." Koushiro denied in a soft voice. "She said that magic was something that we could find anywhere, even inside of us, if we paid attention."

"Was that a Magician or a Philosopher?" Otae joked, but did not laugh.

A group of tiny fireflies that emitted white light came from below them and surrounded the woman. The pleasant warm feeling reminded her of a hug. When had been the last time she had received one of those?

"We're going back to Homura-san's base." Koushiro said, pulling the silver disc from the brown bag.

"You're going after Sora-han into the orb, right?" Atlurkabuterimon asked.

"If things get dangerous, I'm going to get out, don't worry." Koushiro promised. Then, he looked at the woman surrounded by particles of white light. They were different from the insects he had seen earlier. Were those insects at all?

"Will you come with us, Otae-san?"

The woman was busy trying to grab one of the fireflies; they seemed to be intangible. Her eyes shone but she did not cry.

She turned to the boy. He saw in her eyes a mix of melancholy and resignation. Otae smiled softly, in a way he had not seen before, and told him:

"It's time to be brave."

 **Notes:**

 **A little bit of information: Sora means Sky in Japanese, which is why Otae was confused by her name. By the way, Koushiro means child of light. This chapter was something I've wanted to write since before I began this story. The bearer of knowledge is very special for me; I hope I could properly convey my love for his character.**


	20. Oncoming storm

Nanomon woke up in his cage, feeling that someone was watching him. He stood up with difficulty and turned in the direction of the bars. He did not find Kanda there.

"A Patamon?" He asked, confused, looking at the orange and white creature walking in his direction. That was probably one of the digimon of the chosen children. What was he doing there by himself?

The small digimon sat a few centimeters from the bars and studied the other attentively. He had a serene expression on the face.

"What do you want?" Nanomon inquired.

"Tell me how to get Sora out of the orb." Patamon demanded in a grave tone of voice. There was no shred of hesitation in him. _What is the meaning of this?_ Nanomon wondered. _Who does this child level digimon think he is to speak to a perfect level like this?_ It was not that Patamon had been rude. Strangely, that direct request seemed fit to him, somehow. Patamon emanated in the moment an aura of dignity that should not belong to him.

"Heh." Nanomon laughed, nervously. "A little insignificant thing like you wants me-"

"I know you were scared of Seraphimon." Patamon did not allow him to finish the sentence. The authority in the child level digimon's voice sent chills through the other's metallic body. When he actually came to think on what Patamon had said, the weirdness of the situation increased. How could anyone speak of Seraphimon, the greatest digimon that ever existed, without showing any sign of reverence or fear? Nanomon should instill respect for his deceased master in that creature. However, he found himself unable to do so. Something in Patamon's serene eyes froze him in his tracks. The mammal digimon showed an almost imperceptible smile and spoke again: "I know you wouldn't have created those prisons without thinking on a countermeasure to keep yourself safe."

Nanomon was becoming more and more disturbed by Patamon. Each word coming from the child level monster felt like a needle entering his heart, which was a sensation he had almost forgotten about.

"What can you possibly know about me?" Nanomon inquired. He could feel his heart racing and coldness spreading through his already cold body. "Someone like you can't understand my devotion to my Master! I didn't follow him out of fear; I followed him because I believed in his vision! Seraphimon-sama had been chosen by Fate to be the savior of the world! He should be reigning until today if that cursed woman-"

Nanomon suddenly stopped talking. Patamon was staring at him with so much intensity that he thought his heart was going to stop. He was not sure about what he saw beyond those wide blue eyes but it was enough to force him to take a step back.

"Who-?" Nanomon had only begun to voice his question when a human child opened the sliding door of Kanda's travel base and stepped inside it.

"Patamon! I was looking you everywhere!" The boy shouted, running to the mammal digimon and picking him up. "What are you doing here, alone with this guy? It could be dangerous!"

"Sorry, Takeru!" Patamon spoke in a childish voice, to Nanomon's shock.

Takeru glanced at Nanomon and noticed how harmed he was. That was certainly Kanda's doing. _Kanda-san must've been extracting information to help Sora-san. This monster is the culprit for her disappearance._ The human reminded himself, forcing his sight away from the digimon's wounds. Yet, his heart felt heavy. The boy gulped and walked away with his partner. After closing the sliding door behind them, Takeru remained in the same spot for a couple of seconds, looking down.

"I was trying to make him tell me how to save Sora." Patamon explained. His partner noticed that his voice was more serious than usual.

"He wouldn't tell you anything." Takeru affirmed. "Not even Kanda-san got any result despite doing _that_ to him."

"Maybe Kanda isn't intimidating enough." Patamon suggested, showing a sheepish smile.

"And you are?" Takeru laughed. "You're the least scary living being in the world!"

Takeru noticed his partner's eyes getting humid and became afraid that he had hurt his feelings. But Patamon did not seem sad.

"Thank you." The digimon said, smiling broadly.

The human did not understand why his partner had thanked him. There was no time to ask about it, though. Koushiro had disappeared hours earlier and they had to keep searching for the boy.

 **Chapter 20: Oncoming storm**

Several lines of Digimon were in the hall of the Academy's main base. They had all been assigned to different locations and were to leave immediately. Bastemon was keeping track of them from the computer in her counter, which showed the images of the cameras spread around. She noticed Wizarmon walking with a small digimon hidden under a yellow cape in one of the lines. Finding that strange, Bastemon left the counter and went to where they were. Without asking questions, she pulled the hood of the cape from the head of the smaller digimon.

It was a Tailmon.

"I didn't know we had a Tailmon as a recruit." Bastemon commented. "And I thought I had read in the Headmaster's orders that you should stay in the base with me, Wizarmon."

"Your memory is playing tricks at you again." Wizarmon spoke with serenity. "Tailmon and I were assigned to a mission elsewhere."

"What are you carrying in that box?" Bastemon inquired, pointing to a rectangular wooden box Tailmon was carrying. The small white digimon gulped and looked at Wizarmon.

"Her personal belongings." The mage digimon remained calm.

"I'll write what you said down and inform the Headmaster once he arrives." Bastemon said.

"You'd better hurry up, before you forget what we just talked about." Wizarmon advised.

Bastemon bit her lower lip. It was of general knowledge that she suffered from recent memory loss since she returned from her secret mission, long ago. The other digimon of the Academy treated her with respect and kindness but Wizarmon was different. The mage had become the Headmaster's right hand under mysterious circumstances. There were no records about him previous to the day a traitor named Nanomon killed most of the leaders of the Academy, except Gennai.

Bastemon had the impression that Wizarmon had nothing but contempt for everybody in the organization, which displeased her deeply. Nevertheless, she decided not to waste time on him any longer. It was plausible for the Headmaster to assign him a mission with an unknown digimon. Gennai was full of secrets, and there was a general consensus that nobody knew them better than Wizarmon. She walked away, intending to write down what had happened before the memory slipped away from her.

 _"_ _This is a mistake."_ Tailmon thought. _"The Headmaster is going to find us before we-"_

 _"_ _I've taken care of everything."_ Wizarmon told her through telepathy.

 _"_ _I can't escape the Academy! And if the Sanctuary finds out about me…"_ Tailmon continued thinking.

 _"_ _The Sanctuary won't find out about you."_ Wizarmon reassured her. _"And by this time tomorrow, you won't have to worry about the Academy anymore."_

Tailmon smiled after hearing that statement in her mind.

 _"_ _Do you think she's going to like me?"_ She asked in thought

 _"_ _Who wouldn't like you, Tailmon?"_ Wizarmon replied with another telepathic question. " _Soon, you'll meet each other and live happily in the human world."_

* * *

Thousands of kilometers away from Aurora Town, there was an isolated castle on a hill, which belonged to Vamdemon.

After the failure in Aurora Town, Picodevimon was forcefully dragged through a portal to Vamdemon's castle and severely punished. Covered in bruises, he was left chained to the external wall of the castle, a few centimeters above the wooden doors. He had been there for over a day with no food or water, suffering under the heat of the sun and the cold of the night.

Picodevimon no longer had the strength to keep his eyes open. Suddenly, he felt himself being released from the chains and gently held by someone. With great effort, he opened his eyes and saw Ladydevimon looking at him.

"Stop it…" Picodevimon muttered. "He'll get angrier at me…"

"I can take you away from Vamdemon." The female digimon said.

"Vamdemon-sama would never allow that." The little monster spoke, resigned to his fate.

"I will protect you." Ladydevimon promised. Picodevimon broke free from her embrace and fell to the ground.

"Nobody can protect me." He stated, crawling to the wall, where he later leaned on.

Ladydevimon looked at the small being with sadness but did not insist on picking him up. Instead, she forcefully opened the big doors and walked into the castle. Dozens of digimon of diverse shapes and sizes turned their heads in her direction. They were mostly adult level ones, with a few child level monsters among them.

"I'm here to talk to Vamdemon." She declared, stepping forward.

"Vamdemon-sama is already in an important reunion! He told us not to let anyone bother him!" A Nanimon, who resembled a tiny haired man, told her.

"Do you intend to stop me?" Ladydevimon smirked, getting in a combat stance. "That's kind of cute."

"There's no need for you to dirty your hands with these low lives, Milady." A grave voice came from the other side of the entrance hall. The monsters moved to the sides and let the digimon approach Ladydevimon. She was surprised and intrigued to see him there.

"What are you doing here, Piedmon-sama?" She asked.

"Although I like your affectionate nickname for me, it still feels wrong to hear _you_ calling _me_ _sama_." Piedmon commented, leaning in her direction and gently holding one of the woman's hands, kissing it.

"What's to do about it?" Ladydevimon smirked. "You were the first ultimate level among us siblings, even if I'm the oldest one. Nothing more natural than-"

The clown digimon frowned and straightened his posture.

"How many times must I ask you not to refer to us as siblings?" Piedmon looked down and let go of her hand. "How cruel of you."

"We've had this conversation before." Ladydevimon glanced at the floor. "To Mother, we-"

"I understand your devotion to her." Piedmon interrupted. "But it saddens me to see you holding yourself back in the name of that devotion… you who could be far more powerful than her now if only-"

"You'd better stop talking, Piedmon!" Ladydevimon hissed. "Your words sound like the ones from a traitor."

"I would never betray you." Piedmon stated. "You know that."

"Then, what are you doing in a conspirator's castle?" Ladydevimon inquired.

"Hey, hold on!" An Agumon wearing an afro wig shouted; he took two steps in the woman's direction, distancing himself from the digimon who were watching the exchange. "Vamdemon-sama is not a conspirator! He's a loyal follower of the Queen!"

"Punk-Agumon, you can't talk to a perfect and an ultimate level digimon like that!" A Blossomon reprehended.

"I was Punk-Agumon last week. Now, I'm Afro-Agumon!" The small dinosaur corrected her.

"Stop changing your name whenever you get a new wig, it's confusing and annoying!" Nanimon scolded him.

"Do you agree with that statement, Piedmon- _sama_?" Ladydevimon asked in low voice, glancing at the ultimate level digimon.

"What makes you think Vamdemon isn't loyal?" Piedmon inquired.

"He's creating an army to invade the human world. You know what Mother thinks about letting human beings know about our existence." Ladydevimon spoke darkly.

"Well…" Piedmon smiled. "It seems that you're about to have a pleasant surprise."

"What do you mean?"

"Follow me, Milady."

Ladydevimon followed Piedmon into Vamdemon's personal chamber, at the top of the highest tower in the castle. A chandelier illuminated the place, which was decorated with rich furniture. The vampire digimon was sitting on an armchair; in his front, there was a coffee table with a laptop over it. The clown digimon guided Ladydevimon to a sofa, where he took seat. She preferred to remain standing up.

"I arrived not long before you, attracted by the rumors of an invasion as well." Piedmon narrated, glancing at the woman.

"You came to check on him?" She questioned. "You weren't supposed to leave the battle field! Without you there, the other three won't stand a chance against the holy beasts!"

"There's no longer a battle field, Milady." Piedmon smiled, taking a large napkin from under his right sleeve. He put the napkin over the coffee table and a rectangular black box appeared under it. The ultimate level digimon removed the top of the box and revealed four dark orbs inside it. Ladydevimon took a step back.

"No need to worry." Piedmon had a calm tone. "They're already occupied. Besides, they've been programmed with specific targets."

"Targets? Don't tell me…" Ladydevimon gulped. "It's impossible… how?!"

"Our long war has come to an end, Milady." Piedmon told her. "The four holy beasts will no longer be in our way."

 _The holy beasts were captured?_ Ladydevimon was in disbelief. _How can this be possible? How did Piedmon acquire those dark orbs? What objects did he use to program them to target the beasts? The only digimon I can think of who could've helped him with that… but wasn't he their ally?! How did Piedmon capture a cunning being like that and force him to cooperate?_

"It hasn't ended yet." Vamdemon said, abruptly. "I haven't received my signal yet."

"Signal? What's going on here?" Ladydevimon was perplexed.

"The rumors you heard about an army for an invasion were right." Vamdemon admitted. "In a near future, I will conquer the human world."

"You admit it?!" Ladydevimon assumed a fight stance. "Mother will never-"

"She will let me do anything I want after I give her this gift!" Vamdemon cut her off, glancing at the laptop.

"Gift?" Ladydevimon did not understand.

"Not long ago, I was contacted by Nanomon, from the Academy." Vamdemon recounted. "He told me a very interesting story. He had cloned the original chosen children and his own creations betrayed him. Then, he had to run away and hide after the child of love murdered Gennai and all the higher ups of the Academy and took control of the organization, blaming him for the assassinations. No need to say that Nanomon wants revenge, and as soon as I receive his signal-"

"What…?" Ladydevimon was livid to hear that. "T-this is absurd! Clones of the chosen children?! Nanomon has been our enemy for ages, how can you simply believe what he says?!"

"It's true." Piedmon confirmed. "I've heard it from a different source as well. Those humans are still around… in a way."

Ladydevimon clenched her trembling fists. _Those horrible creatures… we never got rid of them? Those invaders are still around, haunting our world? Fighting us, using the Academy? Why? Why didn't they leave? How much do they enjoy inflicting us pain?_

"But not for long." Vamdemon smiled. "If everything goes according to the plan, I'll take control of the main base of the Academy before the sun rises."

"What is this nonsense you're talking about?!" The woman was getting exasperated.

"My army will raid that base and defeat all the chosen children in there, when the time comes." Vamdemon spoke with malice. "And then, I'll have access to the greatest database in the world!"

" **We** will have access to the database." Piedmon corrected him.

"Of course." Vamdemon sounded a little nervous. "That's what I meant to say."

"Are all of the original chosen children even in the main base right now?" Ladydevimon asked.

"We'll make them gather there." Piedmon had a malevolent smile as he grabbed one of the orbs. "My source said that those clones are connected to the holy beasts. They can feel if something happens to their partners. Even if they're spread around the world, if something does happen to those digimon, it's safe to assume that they would gather in the main base, where the Headmaster controls his global surveillance network."

"I see…" Ladydevimon was still processing all the information.

"Aren't you happy, Milady?" Piedmon asked, standing up. Then, he offered the dark sphere he had been holding to the woman.

"What about the new children who were brought to this world?" She questioned.

"Without the support of the Academy, they won't represent a problem for us." Piedmon explained. "If they don't do anything stupid, we might even show them mercy."

Ladydevimon took the orb from his hand and pressed it. If all that was really true, their long war would soon end. After thousands of years of loss and grief, it would finally be over. And those merciless chosen children would finally pay for their crimes. She thought about her Mother behind that door, bearing unimaginable pain for so long. Her misery would end as well, and all the mistakes from the past would be corrected.

The dark sphere was shattered in her claw-like hand and turned to dust.

Far from there, Tamaki fell from the chair in his control room, engulfed by pain. Gasping for air, he saw his crest tattoo being erased and heard, in his mind, his digimon partner screaming in agony.

"Xuanwumon?" He asked aloud. Tamaki knew nobody would reply. He had to go after the answers himself.

* * *

In Homura's base, the chosen children, their partners and Homura had searched for Koushiro and Tentomon for several hours, taking brief breaks. The adult had assured them that the boy could not have left the place while Kanda's travel base was connected to the entrance. At night, when they reunited in the kitchen to eat, they all had depressed looks on their faces. Jyou, Homura and Pukamon were on the left side of the table; Mimi, Tanemon, Takeru and Patamon were across from them.

"You don't think Koushiro-kun and Tentomon are inside the orb now, do you?" Jyou questioned, staring at a cup of tea he had in his right hand.

"Tentomon wouldn't let him go there!" Pukamon interjected.

"Besides, it wouldn't make sense for Tentomon to be absorbed." Tanemon opinionated.

"It didn't make sense for Koushiro-kun to be targeted either." Mimi affirmed.

"He wasn't in the travel base." Takeru informed. "Maybe Kanda-san saw him."

"I ran into Kanda-san in the dojo twenty minutes ago. He told me that he hasn't seen Koushiro-kun since the morning." Jyou sighed.

"What was Kanda-kun doing in the dojo?" Homura questioned, paling.

"He was just sitting there. I was in a hurry, so I didn't ask more questions." Jyou replied.

Homura stood up and left the kitchen in a hurry, muttering "I need to do something, wait here."

"Was it something I said?" Jyou was startled.

"I bet she's going to talk to Kanda-san!" Mimi told him.

"But I already said that he-" Jyou began.

"She must've figured out that he was hiding information." Mimi theorized.

"And she just couldn't tell us that…" Jyou sighed, frustrated. "Nobody tells us anything…"

The atmosphere became gloomier and no one was sure about what to say. Takeru decided to take action.

"I'm going to follow Homura-san and eavesdrop on her and Kanda-san." The youngest child said, leaving his seat.

"Takeru-kun-" Jyou was going to protest.

"Listen, I know how adults are." Takeru spoke gently. "Sometimes they hide things from kids because they think they're protecting us. But Sora-san, and possibly Koushiro-san as well, along with their partners, could be in danger now. We don't have the luxury to pretend that we don't know that the adults are hiding things from us."

"But eavesdropping is so…" Jyou murmured. "We should confront them directly. That's the right way to do things!"

"If we do that, they'll just keep lying to us!" Mimi did not support the idea.

"But when I confronted Homura-san, she told me-" Jyou started.

"She didn't actually say anything that could help us in the current situation." Pukamon interrupted him.

 _That's right…_ Jyou thought. _She didn't actually tell me anything useful to help Sora-kun. I got so involved in her story that I didn't notice it… what's the matter with me? Is eavesdropping really the best we can do now?_

Jyou looked at Mimi, silently asking for her opinion. The girl looked from him to Takeru and said:

"If you're going to do that, make sure that they don't notice you."

"Of course. That's the point of eavesdropping." Takeru smirked, leaving the kitchen with Patamon.

"Mimi-kun, are you suspicious of Kanda-san and Homura-san?" Jyou asked. There was no condemnation in his voice.

"We all know that they're keeping things from us." She replied.

"I don't know about Kanda-san, but Homura-san isn't a bad person." Jyou said. "She made many mistakes and has many regrets… and those led her to make more mistakes and regrets. She's an adult but I don't feel like she knows what she's doing."

"It's depressing." Pukamon commented, biting an onigiri over the table and glancing up at Jyou. "No matter how noble are your ideals, it's wrong to let them destroy you."

Jyou blinked after hearing that. He was not sure whether Pukamon was referring solely to Homura.

"I wasn't saying they were bad people." Mimi explained. "But the way they've been acting to us is wrong. To leave us in the dark and give us no explanation for what happened to our friends is disrespectful."

"They're probably trying to protect you." Tanemon pointed out.

"That doesn't make it less disrespectful!" Mimi reiterated.

"They don't tell us anything…" Jyou muttered. "They don't rely on us… am I that untrustworthy?"

The boy's heart ached. He should be so pathetic on the eyes of people. Of course nobody told him anything! Of course everybody kept him in the dark! He could not even live up to be the leader of the group and offered Sora the position. How must have she felt? He was just burdening her, wasn't he? He pressured her to the point of making Sora disregard her own safety. He felt sick at himself.

"It's my fault!" Jyou stated.

"What are you talking about?" Pukamon inquired. "How could any of this be your fault?"

"I should've been more reliable!" Jyou continued. "I should've been someone people could depend on! I should've been able to look after everyone! But I couldn't… I couldn't…" The boy's eyes got filled with tears. "I-I don't know what to do now… I can't do anything…"

Mimi held Jyou's hands over the table and squeezed them gently.

"There's no point in feeling guilty for any of that." Mimi told him. "Sometimes, things are simply out of our control."

"I h-had told Sora-kun that s-she should be the leader!" Jyou sobbed. "I thought that it made sense… b-but I ended up pressuring her, didn't I? I shoved my p-problems to her, didn't I?! I didn't mean to do that! I didn't want to overwhelm her! That's why she f-felt responsible and went a-after Koushiro-kun! That's why all this is happening!"

"Jyou, that's not how things went down!" Pukamon stated. "You told Sora that you would help her as much as possible and that nobody should carry too much weight on the shoulders! You did nothing wrong!"

"But Sora-kun still felt overwhelmed!" Jyou shouted. "But she wouldn't say it, don't you get it? She kept her feelings to herself and acted as if everything was okay! And I didn't… she was suffering and I didn't…"

"Of course I get it." Mimi said. "That's how Sora-san is… and Koushiro-kun isn't very different."

Mimi remembered about the times she had tried to get closer to Sora and Koushiro. How frustrated she was when they would not let her in. How she thought that happened because of her, instead of putting the blame on them. To see Jyou like that made things clearer. The two of them had done everything they could, but a relationship based on trust was not something that could be built by only one side. Sora and Koushiro had to put effort in it too. They had to make the decision to trust them and to be more sincere. They had to tell them when things were wrong instead of bottling them up and pretending that everything was alright.

"We can't blame ourselves for people hiding things from us!" Mimi spoke with no hesitation. "We can't blame ourselves for other people not trusting us! That's _their_ issue, not ours! We don't read minds, Jyou-san. There's a limit for what we can do for other people."

Jyou paled after hearing that. What Mimi had said made sense, but it reminded him of something the Spirit of the World had told him, bizarrely while taking her appearance.

 _"_ _In all the billions of years that I've existed I've come to a conclusion: you can only help yourself. You can cooperate with others for greater causes. You can share as many things as you like. However, in the end, you are all strangers to one another. Everybody is essentially alone."_

 _Did Fate know that Mimi-kun was going to tell me this?_ He wondered, perplexed.

"You helped Koushiro in Raven's Canyon!" Pukamon reminded his partner. "You were only able to do so after you learned more about him!"

"But Koushiro-kun wasn't the person to tell me those things! He didn't want me to know any of that!" Jyou protested.

"Koushiro didn't hold any of that against you." Pukamon said. "And when it mattered, he let you help him. You're capable of helping others, Jyou! But the people you want to help have to accept your help in the first place!"

"You're right about that." Jyou muttered, not seeming to feel better.

"What happened to you and Koushiro-kun?" Mimi questioned, seriously. "I've wanted to ask the details since he talked about the Spirit of the World… but I thought it would be painful to him."

"I shouldn't tell you…" Jyou said. "It would be a violation of Koushiro-kun's privacy! It's wrong!"

"But I want to understand!" Mimi insisted. "I need to know… I can't stand not knowing it."

Jyou could tell that Mimi had the best intentions but was still torn. He felt that it was wrong to talk about someone's secrets without the person's permission. But would it still be wrong in that situation? What did respecting Koushiro's and Sora's privacy ever bring? Maybe it was time to better balance his values.

"Okay." The boy agreed. "But the two of us will have to apologize to him later."

Mimi nodded.

Takeru and Patamon followed Homura without being noticed. After she entered the dojo, the boy positioned himself close to the half opened door, in a way that would prevent the people inside to see him. Being extra careful, he peeked inside and saw Homura standing in front of Kanda, who was sitting on the floor.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Thinking about life." He replied.

"In the only room of my base large enough to comport a portal created by one of those silver discs?" She was skeptical.

Kanda did not reply for almost one minute. He then smirked and said:

"You figured it out."

"Where did you send Koushiro to?"

 _What?_ Takeru was shocked. _Kanda-san sent Koushiro-san somewhere? He lied to Jyou-san?!_

"I sent him after someone who had information on the orbs." Kanda answered.

"If you knew someone who had that information, why didn't you go after the person? More importantly, why didn't you consult the person before this whole mess went down?!" Homura questioned.

"I didn't know where she was before yesterday." He explained. "And I didn't know that she had information until this morning. As for the reason I didn't go after her personally… I figured she wouldn't want to see me... I did break her heart, after all."

Homura's face became vivid and her limbs trembled. She opened her mouth but did not say anything immediately. Observing her, Takeru thought that she wanted to cry and smile at the same time.

"You're talking about Otae-san?" She muttered.

Kanda nodded.

"How long were you planning on hiding this from me?" The woman had an accusatory tone.

"What are you getting all worked up about?" Kanda's voice became cold. "If I remember clearly, you were shouting at her last time-"

"This is not fair!" Homura did not let him finish. "Don't act as if you don't know what I feel for her!"

"Why should I know about your feelings?"

"Because we both feel the same way for her!" Homura shouted. "We always did! We were even super competitive with each other when we were kids!"

"Heh." He chuckled, bitterly. "And we both lost."

Homura furrowed her eyebrows as small tears appeared in the corners of her eyes. Kanda looked down, without moving, and continued:

"I thought that if there was someone who could reach Tae, it would be the person who has her crest now. It's better than showing myself to her again. I don't want to hurt her anymore… I just want to know if she's alright."

"How could she be alright?" Homura inquired. "We can't forget anything… Shinsuke-kun's death is as recent to me as it was in the day Angemon sliced his throat open. I can't imagine how that must be for Otae-san."

Takeru gulped, glancing at Patamon, who was sitting by his side. A buzzing noise coming from the room caught his attention. The boy peeked and saw a portal being opened in thin air. Koushiro walked through it with Motimon in his arms. A woman with dirty gray hair and pale skin followed him.

Homura let out an exclamation of shock and covered her mouth with both hands. Kanda stood up, startled, as if not believing his own eyes.

"Kid, go do what you have to do." She told Koushiro. "The adults need to talk."

"Yes, Otae-san!" Koushiro spoke with determination and ran to the sliding door. He crossed it and found Takeru.

"Koushiro-san!" The younger child had many questions racing through his mind at once. The first one that made it to his lips was: "where have you been all this time?"

"Did Kanda-san not tell you?" The older boy seemed to be surprised. "Anyway, I'll have to explain that later. I must go meet Sora-san now!"

Koushiro ran down the corridor without saying anything else. Takeru was first startled. Then, he ran to the kitchen with Patamon, where he found Jyou and Mimi talking. The girl was crying.

"Mimi-san?" Takeru asked. Right away, he remembered that there was an emergency and he could not ask what had happened to her yet. "Koushiro-san is back! But he's heading to the orb!"

Without time to ask questions, Jyou led the way to the room where he had hid the metallic box containing the orb, with Homura, earlier. The children and their partners found Koushiro trying to force open the locked knobbed door of the room.

"KOUSHIRO-KUN!" Mimi and Jyou shouted at the same time. The redhead kid looked at them.

"Jyou-san, Mim-san, I'm in a bit of a hurry now but soon I'll explain-"

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?! YOU'RE NOT GETTING CLOSE TO THAT ORB!" Mimi yelled at him, forcibly pushing Koushiro away from the door.

"It's okay!" The boy said, a little shocked by Mimi's behavior. "I've learned that I can go into the orb and return safely whenever I want! It's the only way to help Sora-san!"

"What?!" Mimi interjected. "What kind of risky plan is that?! You can't keep being self-destructive like that! Didn't you promise Tentomon you would take better care of yourself?!"

An expression of horror followed by one of anger took over Koushiro's face as he glared at Jyou.

"What did you tell her?"

"Everything." Jyou had an apologetic tone. "About you being adopted… about Fate torturing you with visions of your deceased parents… even about Tentomon's nightmare. I'm sorry, Koushiro-kun. Mimi-kun was worried-"

"You didn't have that right!" Koushiro interrupted. "We already had alerted them about Fate! You didn't have to trouble Mimi-san with those details!"

"DETAILS?!" Mimi roared. "THAT'S WHAT YOU CALL WHAT THE SPIRIT OF THE WORLD DID TO YOU?!"

"I didn't want to make anyone worried!" Koushiro had a defensive tone.

"WE WERE WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU!" Mimi kept yelling. "I'VE BEEN WORRIED ABOUT YOU SINCE THE TIME YOU ARGUED WITH TAKERU-KUN! I'VE BEEN WORRIED ABOUT YOU EVER SINCE YOU HAD A PANIC ATTACK IN FRONT OF ME AND NEVER EXPLAINED WHY! AND NOW YOU DISAPPEARED WITHOUT TELLING US ANYTHING! WE SEARCHED FOR YOU ALL DAY! WE THOUGHT YOU COULD HAVE ENTERED THE ORB! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW NERVOUS YOU MADE US ALL?!"

The sight of Mimi crying and trembling while shouting at him made Koushiro feel consumed by guilt.

"I'm sorry…" The redhead murmured. "I didn't think… I didn't want to-"

"You're not our problem, Koushiro-kun!" Jyou assured him. "You're our friend! We care about you! We want to help you but we can't do that if you're not sincere with us!"

Takeru approached Koushiro slowly. He looked sadly into the older boy's eyes and said:

"The people you barely remembered you had lost… they were your parents, weren't they?"

Koushiro recalled the conversation they had in Tamaki's base.

"I was raised by parents who adopted me." The redhead informed. "They're kind people and love me very much."

The children remained in heavy silence for a few seconds.

"I really need to go after Sora-san." Koushiro told them. "While we're talking, she's entrapped in an endless nightmare. I'm the only one who can go in there."

"It's dangerous!" Jyou remarked.

"But I can get out at will! Otae-san said-" Koushiro insisted.

"Otae-san?!" Mimi and Jyou asked at the same time.

"Kanda-san sent me after her." Koushiro explained. "She's the one who told me-"

"Kanda-san sent you away?" Jyou was startled. "He said that he hadn't seen you since the morning. He let us look for you and worry about you all day…"

"Seriously?" Koushiro was shocked to hear that.

"That person has no consideration for us!" Mimi spoke with bitterness. "To think that he had Sora-san's crest…"

"Please, let me go after her at once!" Koushiro pleaded. "I'll tell you everything you want to know later but I can't waste more time! I promise that if things get dangerous, I'll get out of there! Please, let me go!"

"You say that but you would still go after Sora-han even if they forbade you." Motimon commented.

"Are you okay with his decision, Motimon?" Tanemon inquired.

"Why aren't you trying to stop him?" Pukamon questioned.

"Are you alright with someone you treasure acting in such a reckless way?" Patamon asked.

"Koushiro-han has already made his mind. Also, it's the only way to help Sora-han." Motimon said. "I'd go with him if I could…"

"Motimon…" Koushiro smiled. The little digimon jumped from his partner's arms and gave him a serious look.

"Koushiro-han, listen to what I'm going to say. You made me a promise that you would get out of the orb if you were in danger. I trust you to keep your word."

"I understand." Koushiro said. "Thank you for trusting me."

"Have you put anything in your stomach since breakfast?" Jyou asked, picking a biscuit package and a bottle of water from his bag.

"I can eat later-" Koushiro began.

"If you're really sorry about worrying us, you're going to eat now!" Jyou was authoritative.

Koushiro gave in and consumed the whole package of biscuits and the water. Mimi gave Motimon something for him to eat from her bag. Then, she took off her hat and picked a hair clip, in order to use it to unlock the door.

"Scold Sora-san for making us concerned." Mimi told her classmate.

"I'm going to have a serious conversation with her." Koushiro said back. "I'll ask her to apologize to all of you as soon as she returns."

"Good." Takeru murmured.

Mimi succeeded in opening the door. Koushiro asked the others not to go into the room with him. Motimon protested at first but ultimately did as his partner wanted. Everybody reminded him to be careful. Koushiro entered the room and walked in the direction of a shaking wardrobe. A substance that resembled black smoke was leaking from it. The memory of the discussion Sora had with her mother invaded his mind.

The wardrobe was forced open and the dark substance advanced against Koushiro. At the other side of the open door, Motimon, by instinct, tried to run to him, but was stopped by Pukamon, Tanemon and Patamon. Mimi, Jyou and Takeru watched everything with apprehension, hoping that they were not dooming another friend.

Before being completely swallowed by darkness, Koushiro muttered to himself:

"It's time to be brave."

 **I would like to thank you all for the reviews. Special thanks to the sweet anon who gave me so many lately. You rock! :D**


	21. A short story about love

The sound of her helmet cracking came to her after the pieces escaped her bare fingers and fell on the icy ground. Two halves of a whole forced apart to never be together again.

She glanced down at her fingers. Small cuts covered them. She did not remember when she had lost the gloves, but believed to have seen a piece of one among the flower petals she had stepped on earlier.

"How many… times…?" Sora's voice had lost any shred of life it once had.

"I don't know…" Birdramon spoke with sorrow. Her eyes did not seem to be able to form new tears. "You come, try to free me, fail, try to get the crest, fail, shout at the cloaked person, remember that you came here to save Koushiro… then you cry… that thing sends you away… then you return, without remembering anything and more worn out than before…"

Sora's sight got blurred by her tears. Her knees felt weak and she had to sustain her weight on her palms against the wall of ice. They slipped, tainting the surface red. On her knees, she looked up to Birdramon, who still managed to have kindness in her eyes.

"Because of me…" The girl muttered.

"This ice doesn't hurt me, Sora." Birdramon assured her.

"I trapped you here…" The human insisted.

The digimon hesitated but decided to reveal the truth. Maybe that would diminish her friend's pain.

"I can leave if I want to." Birdramon confessed. "That thing told me that I could leave. I just had to say it."

"Liar." Sora shook her head. "You're stuck here. You're lying to me to make me feel better but that won't-"

"I'm not lying to you."

"Yes, you are!" Sora insisted. "If you could leave, you would've done that already! You wouldn't still be here!"

"I'm not going to abandon you!" Birdramon stated.

"Stop it!" Sora pleaded.

"I don't care about how many mistakes you made! I forgive you!" Birdramon told her. "I love you, Sora! I'm not going anywhere without you!"

"STOP IT!" Sora cried, punching the wall with her right fist. The pain in her hand was not comparable to the one she had in her heart. "Stop it stop it stop it stop it… please… tell me that you're lying… tell me that it's all my fault!"

"I forgive you."

"NO!" Sora punched the wall again and continued to do so, with both her fists, until the backs of her hands were completely red. Birdramon begged her to stop but Sora could no longer hear her. "CURSE ME! LEAVE ME! SAVE YOURSELF! TREAT ME LIKE I DESERVE!"

"I am treating you like you deserve!" Bidramon affirmed. "Sora, you deserve to be-"

"SHUT UP!"

As the yell left the girl's throat, the temperature dropped drastically. Cold wind came from her right. She looked down and saw a thick layer of ice spreading around her. Sora stood up, using the wall to support herself. She turned around slowly.

Her jailer was standing a couple of meters in front of her, ready to once again deliver the punishment the girl deserved.

 **Chapter 21: A short story about love**

The cold wind struck Koushiro's skin. It felt like several sharp needles cutting him. He opened his eyes and found himself beside the wall of ice. A few meters in front of him, the cloaked person he had seen in visions was approaching Sora, who was not running away. Behind the girl, Birdramon was stuck in the wall, with only her head free. The boy noticed that the fifth-grader was not wearing her helmet or her gloves, and that her hands were harmed.

"Sora!" Birdramon cried.

Sora did not say anything back, nor did she move. Her tear brimmed eyes showed acceptance for her fate.

But Koushiro could not accept that.

"SORA-SAN!" The boy shouted, right before the person dressed in black could place a hand on the girl's chest. Sora, Birdramon and the mysterious figure turned their heads to him.

"What…?" Birdramon was speechless. How did Koushiro get in there? Why was he showing up just now?

"Koushiro… kun…?" Sora felt as if the ground itself was trying to swallow her. Koushiro had been trapped in that place too? Had she not been able to protect him? Was Koushiro trapped in the same cycle as well? _No…_ she begged, mentally, _not this… I can't be responsible for this too! I can't have dragged him to this! No! NO!_

The cloaked figure took a step in the boy's direction, spreading ice on the floor. Koushiro attempted to walk away but fell on his back; he lifted his upper body and realized that his feet had been frozen to the ground.

Sora saw panic filling the boy's face as he watched the cloaked figure getting close to him, unable to escape. His imminent doom lit something in the girl's spirit. She jumped into motion and caught up to the enemy, grabbing the right wrist of the cloaked figure moments before the palm touched the fourth-grader.

"STAY AWAY FROM HIM!" Sora ordered.

A wave of hot air burst from where she was and spread in all directions. The cloaked person shrieked, as if in pain. Ice covered the mysterious figure's body and it vanished in thin air, while a few crystals were left floating behind. The ice on the boy's feet was melted and Sora stretched her right hand to him. Koushiro paled, taking a closer look on the girl's wounds. He grabbed the bloody hand, nevertheless, and stood up. Back on his feet, the fourth-grader looked at Sora with wide open eyes.

"That never happened before…" Birdramon was astonished. "Koushiro had never appeared… Sora had never overpowered that thing…"

"What do you mean by 'overpower?'" The girl asked her partner, shaking and letting go of the boy's hand. "I didn't do anything!"

"Sora-san, you saved my life…" Koushiro said, examining the blood stains left on his glove. "That wave of warmth was your doing."

"Don't be absurd!" Sora was losing her patience. "How could that be possible?!"

"You might have power in this place." Koushiro theorized. "It could be a representation of an aspect of your personality."

"Enough with this already!" Sora snapped.

The children shivered. Cold air was surrounding them again.

"Is she coming back?" Koushiro wondered, afraid.

"She?" Sora asked.

"Her voice sounded feminine to me… but I could be wrong." Koushiro explained.

"How do you know her voice? That thing never spoke!" Sora was perplexed.

"I had visions of this place before coming here after you." The boy told her. "I saw that person talking to Birdramon and-"

"Coming after me?" Those words almost did not make it out of the girl's mouth.

Koushiro noticed how her pupils contracted and her skin grew paler every second.

"I searched for a way to bring you out after you saved me." The boy explained. "I found Otae-san and she told me that I could get in and out of the orb. So, I came here to talk to you… to help you."

The temperature was decreasing quickly. Wrapping his arms around himself, Koushiro waited for the girl to say anything. She kept staring at him in astonishment and, perhaps, terror.

"Sora-san, you don't have to worry about me. If things get dangerous, I can get out… okay, I acknowledge that I panicked there and couldn't say anything but I promise it won't happen again." He believed he could mollify the fifth-grader by saying that. "I came here because I was worried about you. Everybody is worried about you! Besides… I need to apologize."

"Apo… logize…?" A murmur came from her half open mouth.

"I shouldn't have let you convince me… no, wait!" Koushiro scratched his head with his right hand. "You were right, actually. Otae-san said that in normal circumstances a single memory shouldn't have been enough to make the orb target me. If we had told Kanda-san, the odds are that he would've agreed with you. The reason why I triggered the trap… that wasn't your fault at all… you had no fault in what happened…"

"Liar!" Sora said in loud voice.

Koushiro was taken aback.

"Sora-san…?"

"Both of you are lying to me." Sora stated, slowly. "You're both trapped here… because of me… I was irresponsible… I didn't think things through… and you must hate me for that!"

"Nobody here hates you, Sora!" Birdramon affirmed. "Koushiro hadn't appeared before, so he must be telling the truth! He came here because he cares for you too!"

"NO!" The girl shouted. A fierce wind came from behind her, carrying ice crystals; Birdramon and Koushiro were forced to close their eyes. When they reopened them, Sora was nowhere to be seen.

"You have to go after her!" Birdramon urged the boy. "If the creature with the black cloak finds her, Sora will lose her memories of this place again and go through everything again!"

"She's stuck in a repetitive cycle?" Koushiro asked. "How? Why?"

"I don't know." Birdramon said. "She always loses hope at the end… when she blames herself for everything. She's defeated and sent back to the beginning."

"But she defeated the cloaked figure this time." Koushiro pointed out.

"Yes…" A spark appeared in the digimon's eyes. "It must've been because she wanted to protect you. Sora just moved… like the time you fell from the mountain and hit your head."

"To protect me…" The boy muttered. Sora was kind and cared a lot about other people, he had always known that. Koushiro glanced at the wall of ice where Birdramon was trapped and noticed the stains of blood on it, like he noticed the pieces of the girl's hat on the ground. She must have been trying to protect Birdramon, and succumbing to desperation. Why could she not free her partner but was able to help him? Was it because the danger the boy was in was more imminent? Was it because it was simpler to save him than to save the digimon? Was it because Sora had more hope for one than the other? Koushiro was not able to figure out the answer.

"Go after her!" Birdramon urged again. "Help Sora!"

"I will." Koushiro promised. He walked forward, leaving the digimon behind, hoping to find the girl.

Birdramon observed the boy fleeing. Then, she closed her eyes for a brief moment, wishing for the best outcome.

"The boy won't change anything."

That voice made the digimon open her eyes immediately. That person was a few steps in her front; the cloak was completely wet.

"Sora will be saved this time!" Birdramon spoke with conviction.

"She can't be saved by another." The figure stated. "No matter how many come to this world and try to rescue her, the result will remain the same."

"You're wrong!" Birdramon roared. "Sora is going to be saved! She's going to beat you and we'll all escape this place!"

"Do you honestly not understand what is happening here?" The stranger had a grave tone. "After all this time, you still refuse to see the obvious?"

"I'm not falling for your games." Birdramon had resolution in her voice. The other did not insist, disappearing in an icy cyclone.

Koushiro saw silhouettes at the distance and rushed there. What he found, however, were dozens of human sized flower dolls. They wore pink kimonos with large red ribbons and cherry blossom details, like the one Mimi had shown them the night before the mission. The dolls had red flowers for the eyes and orange ones for the hair. Koushiro looked down. The ground was covered by petals and destroyed pieces of cloth. In some points, there were even pieces of pink rubber. They mystery of what had happened to Sora's gloves had been solved.

The boy remembered that he had seen Sora's mother working on a flower arrangement in that memory. And the girl had accused the woman of not caring for her, but only for the heiress of the Ikebana tradition.

 _But Sora-san's mother was concerned about her, wasn't she?_

Koushiro reprehended himself mentally for thinking like that. It was not his place to make those assumptions. He could not understand Sora's situation. He could not comprehend that anger, despite having felt it while holding the mirror.

An all consuming anger that lacerated the heart from the inside.

He could not understand that, he believed.

Koushiro kept walking, noticing thin spots of ice covering the petals and cloth, here and there. Under the window of a building sealed with thick ice, Sora was sitting, hiding her face behind her knees. Her wounded hands were shaking.

"Your hands are hurt." Koushiro said, a few steps away from her. The boy sat in her front and took off his own gloves, offering them to the girl. Sora lifted her face and saw what he was doing; she also noticed him looking at her with a mix of concern and apprehension.

The look on his face cut her deeper than the thorns or the ice could.

"These silly cuts are no big deal." The girl told him, looking away. "Keep those gloves on; it's cold."

"Those wounds must be aching." Koushiro commented. "You would feel better if-"

"I don't need to feel better!" Sora yelled, slapping the boy's hand that was offering the gloves, which made them fall on the ground. Koushiro did not pick them up.

"I came here to help you, Sora-san." Koushiro said in low voice. "This place… it's like a torture chamber molded after your destructive thoughts and emotions. Your only way to escape is by overcoming them… I want to help you but I'm not sure about what to tell you. I don't know how to be sensitive or empathetic… I'm sorry."

Sora looked down, feeling nauseous. Her body trembled but she knew it was not because of the cold. The sight of the petals made her feel sicker, so she lifted her face again. Koushiro was still looking at her. There was a light tremor in his lips and there was cold sweat on his pale face. His eyebrows were slightly contracted.

Why did he have to worry about her? Why did he have to come after her? And now he was suffering for not knowing how he could help her. That was so wrong. After everything she did for him, it did not make sense.

He could leave whenever he wanted? And so could Birdramon? She could have escaped that trap? She could get out of the ice? And yet she did not? She stayed there just so Sora could watch her misery? Just so Sora could be reminded of how she had condemned the being that had most openly showed affection for her to eternal torture? If they could leave, they should already have done it. They had to! They had no reason to want to stay!

"You should resent me." Sora muttered. "I ignored your preoccupation and put you in danger. If I had listened to you-"

"It would have made no difference." Koushiro interrupted. "I've told you already that Kanda-san would've agreed that I wasn't a likely target."

"I was irresponsible. What I did to you…"

"I didn't stop you. I was as responsible for it as you were."

"Stop trying to minimize my guilt."

"You wanted to protect Takeru-kun."

"It wasn't just to protect him!" Sora cried, shutting her eyes closed and grabbing her hair with her hands. "I didn't want anyone to know… I wanted to keep that a secret… I was scared!"

"I know." Koushiro told her, glancing down.

"Of course you do… you saw it all, didn't you? You felt it all…" Sora murmured, opening her eyes again. "And somehow you still want to help me. Why?"

"I… actually thought that you resented me, Sora-san." Koushiro confessed. "I invaded your privacy-"

"You couldn't have known."

"I know it doesn't make sense." The boy sighed. "I can't always make sense of the things I feel… they're illogical… and they make me see things worse than they are."

Sora sensed hesitation in the boy's voice. She examined his face and realized he was staring at the frozen petals under them.

"You don't have to force yourself to tell me anything you don't want to." She assured him.

"Otae-san said that the memory was not enough to make the orb target me." Koushiro informed. "It happened because we have similar personalities."

"Eh?" Sora had never expected to hear that. "What are you talking about?"

"Sora-san, you, just like me… you let your negativity cloud your ideas and tell you things that are not true."

Sora stood up, slowly. Koushiro stood up as well. The girl gave him a glare that made him shiver.

"Are you calling me delusional?" Sora's voice was deadly cold.

"Please, don't twist what I'm saying!" Koushiro asked.

"Are you denying that you just called me that?" Sora raised her voice.

"Sora-san, I understand how you feel."

"YOU UNDERSTAND NOTHING!" She shouted, closing her hands into fists. "What do you think you understand?! We are nothing alike!"

"Yes, we are! You just don't see it yet!"

"You're the person who said that parents were kind people who loved you and took care of you!" Her voice was overflowing with spite. "You told me that your parents would never force you to do anything, isn't that right?"

"I'm not here to talk about my parents." Koushiro raised his voice as well.

"Oh, really? How is that fair?" Sora questioned. "You think you are in a position to give me advice but you can't even begin to understand how it is to live in my shoes!"

"Sora-san!"

"How could you? You have such a perfect life with kind and sweet parents, don't you?! Parents who love you and who expect nothing from you!"

"Sora-san, please!"

"You don't know how it is to look into your mother's eyes and see that you're a disappointment to her! That no matter what you do you'll always be a disappointment to her!"

Sora burst into tears, turning her back to the boy. She had said too much. What would Koushiro even be thinking now? She did not want to say any of that. What was the matter with her?

 _Apologize to him!_ Sora ordered herself. _You crossed the line! You shouldn't have said those things! He was just concerned about you!_ But the girl was not able to apologize. Her breathing became irregular and she thought she could listen to her own heartbeats. Her sight was becoming blurrier and her insides were getting colder. _How could I say those selfish things? That's not what a good person should say. I wanted to be good… I wanted to be kind and be there for people… I tried so hard… is it just impossible for me? Am I incapable of going from pretending to being?_

 _Good people don't exist._

 _Was that the truth? Was that really the truth? But my partner is good. And so are Koushiro-kun, Mimi-chan, Takeru-kun and Jyou-sempai… They're all so good! And I'm nothing like them! Why can't they see that I'm nothing like them?!_

"Sora-san, please, talk to me." Koushiro asked, approaching her and gently touching her shoulder. "If you help me to understand your situation, I might-"

"Go away!" Sora gave an order. "You can leave whenever you want, right? Then do that!"

"I'm not leaving yet!" He stated. "I came here to help you, I'm not leaving before doing anything!"

"Stop it!" Sora pleaded, trembling.

"Sora-san, please!" The boy insisted. Sora turned around, put her right hand on his chest and pushed him away.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" She cried, running from there.

Koushiro tried to take a step forward but fell to his knees. The point in his chest that she had touched felt like freezing. The boy soon realized that the ground was completely covered by a thick layer of ice. _How could she not slip on the ice? Where did it come from? Could it be?_

The cold sensation spread inside his body.

"The ice… it's her m-making the ice…" He stuttered.

Koushiro coughed and little ice crystals escaped his throat. He began shaking violently and fell to the ground, with his face down.

 _So cold… am I freezing from the inside out? Sora-san… she did this… both the warmth and the coldness come from her… then, what is that cloaked figure? So cold… am I going to die? If I get out of here can I save myself? I can't even talk anymore… I had promised Motimon… I had promised… I can't die like this… I can't do this to them… and to Sora-san…_

Suddenly, the coldness began to cease. Koushiro glanced up and saw the cloaked person kneeling by his side, with a hand extended above his back.

"What are you doing?" Koushiro asked in a weak voice.

"I can't remove the ice she put on your heart but I can alleviate your pain." The other replied.

"Am I going to die?" He inquired, fearful.

"This is a subjective landscape representing that girl's inner world. Nobody can die here." The mysterious figure explained.

"A private torture chamber…" The boy recalled the explanation Otae had given him. "Everything here is created by Sora-san's darkness… does that include you?"

"What do you think I am?" The other sounded interested in the answer.

"Someone to torment Sora-san… to stop her from moving on." Koushiro theorized.

"She doesn't need anyone to do that for her." The cloaked person replied.

"I saw you in the pyramid, right after the darkness enveloped me." He remembered. "Sora-san hadn't arrived yet. How could you be there, before her?"

"I was born in that moment, from the memory you carried." The stranger narrated. "That time when Sora disregarded her mother's preoccupation and acted immaturely."

Koushiro sat up but his eyes were focused on the icy floor. He could see the flower petals and pieces of fabric underneath.

"I didn't know enough about the situation." Koushiro spoke with no conviction. "I didn't have how to understand Sora-san's relationship with her mother."

"I was born from your mind. Don't believe for one second that you can deceive me."

"I'm not…" Koushiro muttered, unsure. He knew that he could not judge Sora, right? She was a kind person who always put others before herself. She must have had a reason to behave that way. Besides, it was presumptuous for him to attempt to understand what kind of relationship a regular kid would have with parents.

"You're as bad as Sora." The other said. "People who refuse to face their true feelings trap themselves in a labyrinth of delusions."

Koushiro shivered. He examined the stranger hidden under the dark cloak, sitting next to him. That creature had been born from Sora's memory present in Koushiro's mind. Did it mean that it was the boy who wanted to punish Sora? He did think that she had been unfair to her mother but almost immediately shut that thought down. Koushiro knew that Sora was a good person. He remembered her putting herself in danger to save him. She cared so much… he could not doubt how much she cared.

But then, the memory of Tentomon criticizing the girl hit him. Koushiro snapped at his friend, who was just concerned about him. He had the need to stand up for Sora. Why was that? Because he admired the girl? Because he felt guilty? Because he understood her? Or could it be that Koushiro deep down resented Sora, since the time he saw how she treated her own mother? But Koushiro could not admit how he felt, so he convinced himself that he did not feel those things. He convinced himself that he had no harsh feelings for Sora.

Always taking the responsibility. Always assuming that he was the one at fault. Always believing that his emotions mattered less than those of others and easily forgiving whoever harmed him. Always apologizing. Koushiro never thought much about those things; he thought he was okay by doing that. But he was not, was he? Those little things kept accumulating in his heart and kept hurting him without him noticing. And they became unrecognizable to him.

"Sora is always hurting those who love her. And that terrifies her like nothing else." The stranger said. "She makes up lies... she distorts the facts and suppresses her memory… she also fabricates culprits and puts the blame on them."

"Why did you put Birdramon in the wall?" Koushiro inquired. "You tried to freeze me too…"

"I wanted to protect you from her." The other replied. "If I kept you away from that girl, I would be able to convince you two to leave this place. The ice I create and the ice Sora creates are the same. It can't harm anyone physically. The discomfort should be enough to make you want to leave."

Koushiro placed his right hand on his chest. The freezing sensation on his heart was still present, although not as intense as before.

"You have a lot of Sora-san in you, right?" He asked.

"I've been more in contact with her mind than yours." The stranger answered. "I've seen her trapping herself in a repetitive cycle and always forgetting everything by the end of it. She doesn't learn anything… always falling for the traps she sets for herself."

"You're like the part of her who wants to protect us by sending us away, then." Koushiro theorized. "And since you originally came from me, you have an outsider perspective that enables you to see Sora-san's shortcomings."

"Like you?" The cloaked figure questioned.

After half a minute, Koushiro nodded.

"Are you going to stay here or leave?" The stranger inquired.

"I'm not really in danger, am I? I'm staying." He replied.

"She hurt you." The other said.

"That was inevitable." Koushiro affirmed.

"She'll cause you more pain if you go after her." The cloaked figure stated.

"I know." He admitted. "Maybe that's the thing… maybe people can't avoid hurting one another, wanting it or not."

"Why do you insist on going?" The stranger's voice became colder.

"Because abandoning Sora-san would hurt a lot more." Koushiro spoke with resolution, standing up.

"You're ridiculous." The mysterious person said, standing up as well. "Perhaps you'll accept my offer after failing again."

The cloaked figure touched the boy's forehead with her right hand and he had a vision of Sora hiding in a bedroom. The vision zoomed out and he saw how to get there. The fourth-grader blinked. Once he reopened his eyes, the other had disappeared.

* * *

Sora had returned to her fake apartment and locked herself in her fake room. _I definitely burned my bridges with him this time,_ she thought. _He's going away. If I stay hidden here, Birdramon will give up and leave as well. That's how it should be. That's the right thing for them to do._

But Sora did not feel any relief by thinking like that. _If I really were kind… if I really thought more about other people than about me… I would be happy by being left behind, right? I should… I should be happy thinking that everybody would finally get rid of me and move on._ Thick tears rolled down her cheeks. _Why do I have to be scared now? How pathetic! How selfish! Just let them go, Sora! You don't deserve anyone's concern… you're not worthy anything… just let people be free from you!_

"Sora-san!" Koushiro's voice came from the other side of the door.

Sora did not say anything due to shock. He had not left. Why? That did not make sense! Who would not give up on her after everything she had said? Sora wanted to tell the boy to leave but she could not. She found herself incapable of pushing him away any further. Would that even work now? Would he just keep trying to reach her, no matter how many times she rejected him? Like Birdramon? That insistence should make Sora furious. But she was not. The girl felt too tired to say anything. Perhaps, she was too tired to feel anything as well.

"You don't need to open the door or talk to me." The boy said. She could hear him sitting down and could felt his weight against the door; Sora was leaning on it too.

"I think… I resent you a little." Koushiro informed.

 _Of course_ , Sora thought, hiding her face behind her knees, feeling the hot tears flooding her eyes. _So, he came here to tell me that he's leaving?_

"But it isn't because of the pyramid or anything that happened afterwards." He explained.

Sora gasped in surprise.

"I wasn't aware of how I felt… maybe I just tried too hard to bury it. I knew you were a good person who cared for everybody and that…" He hesitated. "I couldn't reconcile that with how you spoke to your mother in that memory. I tried to convince myself that I didn't understand your situation and couldn't make any judgment but… it bothered me so much. It's incomprehensible to me how you could act that way when she just wanted to protect you."

"Seriously?" Sora chuckled but felt no joy. "After everything I did to you, the thing that you hold against me is how I treated my mother? What does that even have to do with you?"

"I would never talk to my parents like that, in any circumstance." Koushiro informed her. "I can't imagine anything worse than doing that."

"That's because you're a good boy and have fantastic parents." Sora said, bitterly. "You can't understand-"

"I think it's because I'm adopted." Koushiro interrupted.

Shocked, Sora could not manage to think on a comeback. Koushiro was adopted? His parents… that sweet couple who showed up for games even when he was not playing, who were always smiling and seemed to be so encouraging, who prepared him big and beautiful lunch boxes and about whom the boy always had words of admiration… those people were not related to him? They did all of that for him without having any obligation?

Sora had to hold her arms to attempt to stop her shaking.

Koushiro was so loved! He was so damn loved! His parents chose to have him in their lives! They did not see him as a continuation of them! The boy could live his life happily and in peace, without any preoccupation in letting them down. How unfair was that? If only Sora could have had a family like that, maybe she would have been less miserable.

"But children like me are not well seen by society." Koushiro's voice became somber, sending chills down Sora's spine. "I had overheard my parents talking about my adoption and searched about it online… I wish I hadn't read those vile things…"

"I'm sorry…" Sora said, ashamed for what she had thought before.

"My parents have always been kind." Koushiro continued. "But from that night on, I couldn't stop thinking that I was a problem to them. It was illogical but I convinced myself that they could regret having taken me in… that idea terrified me so much that I tried to never cause trouble… I tried to be the best son possible and to fit in… but I was too different. I knew that even before that night. No matter what I did, no matter how much I tried not to be a problem to anyone… I felt unworthy… I felt I was less than everybody else…"

Sora could no longer bear to stay sitting behind that door. She stood up and opened it. At the other side, Koushiro turned around and looked up to her; his eyes were brimmed with tears.

Feeling as if her heart was being squeezed, Sora kneeled in his front and pulled him to a tight hug.

"You're nothing like that!" She assured him. "Never think of yourself as a problem or unworthy or lesser in any way! You're a sweet kid! You always do your best, do you hear me? You're extraordinary! Never doubt that! I forbid you from ever doubting your value!"

"You're t-too kind." Koushiro sobbed.

"I'm not kind, you fool!" Sora scolded him. "I'm a fraud! I just try to be a good person but I'm not one… I'm just pretending… I deceive everybody…"

"Then, you didn't mean what you just told me about not doubting my value?" Koushiro asked, worried.

"I was telling you the truth!" Sora stated. "I don't have to be genuinely kind to tell someone the truth!"

"What is a genuinely kind person, Sora-san?" Koushiro inquired, softly. "You're capable of bringing people up even when you are down… you're capable of worrying for others even when your situation is dire… if that's not kindness, then I don't know what it is!"

"But it doesn't come to me naturally!" Sora protested. "I have to work on it, to think about what to say, to decide to act like I want to!"

"Doesn't that make it more remarkable?" Koushiro questioned. "The fact that you work hard on it… doesn't it make you more admirable? You chose to be kind, Sora-san. And you're so much more competent at it than I. I find you truly formidable."

 _Kindness… is a choice?_ Sora asked herself, while putting more force in the hug. _Then… just by trying to be good… just by doing my best… does that already make me a good person?_

"How can you say that to me?" The girl inquired. "You told me that you resented me for the way I treated my mother."

"I do resent you for it. And I do think that you were wrong. But the bad things you do don't erase the good things you've done." Koushiro explained.

"They… don't…?" Sora repeated. "But I did so many terrible things! I hurt Birdramon! I hurt you!"

"I know." Koushiro said.

"If you know, then why don't you go away?" She cried, trembling.

"Because I don't care less for you just because you hurt me." He replied.

"That doesn't make sense." Sora murmured.

"Making sense is not our strong point, I believe." Koushiro commented. "We overcomplicate things… we distort reality to make it fit our beliefs born from our negative feelings."

"What are you talking about?" She muttered, fearful of the answer.

"Sora-san…" Koushiro took a deep breath. "Your mother turned your alarm off because she didn't want you to get hurt."

"Stop bringing her up!" Sora pleaded. "You don't know how she is!"

"Neither does you, Sora-san!" Koushiro insisted. "The things you think about your mother aren't real; you just want to believe they're real!"

"Do you think I want to believe that my mother doesn't love me?!" Sora raised her voice, breaking the hug and glaring at the boy. "Do you think that I want to believe that she sees me as a disappointment? That she can never accept me for who I really am? Why would I want to believe in that?"

The boy gulped. For a moment, Sora thought that she had been too harsh on him. But, soon enough, Koushiro gave her an answer, looking into her eyes.

"Because it's easy." His voice was more serious than before. "It's so easy… not to defy those thoughts… to just believe in the little voice in your head telling you that your parents don't really love you. That they took you in out of pity and that someday they could regret it… and that you have to work extra hard not to be a problem for them… despite you being a problem… despite you doing everything wrong all the time…"

"Koushiro-kun…" She said, holding his hands. "Your parents love you. Anyone can tell that they love you."

"I k-know that!" Koushiro freed his left hand from Sora's grasp and wiped the tears from his eyes. "I know that they love me but… these thoughts don't go away. I can't stop feeling like I don't belong… and that makes me so damn easy to manipulate!" He interjected, seemingly angry at himself. Koushiro closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. When he reopened them, he spoke again. "Homeostasis tricked me to let it enter my mind by showing me a memory of my biological parents, who are probably dead… and then the Spirit of the World…" The boy gasped, shaking. Sora squeezed his right hand more tightly, encouraging him to continue. "… Fate made me see the 'spirits' of my biological parents… they sang to me… and they were calling me to be with them… they wanted me to die for them! And I almost… I almost obeyed them… it would be so easy to do as they told me… I thought I wouldn't have to s-suffer anymore…"

Koushiro's voice cracked and new tears busted from his eyes. Sora pulled him to another hug. He buried his face on her shoulder and cried loudly.

"Did you ever tell them?" Sora asked. "Did you ever talk to your parents?"

"They d-don't know that I k-know that I'm adopted." Koushiro sobbed. "I didn't want to t-trouble them… I n-never want to trouble them…"

The girl remembered their conversation in the underground temple. Koushiro wanted to be similar to his parents. He was always so defensive of them. And he was always so polite and soft spoken to everybody. Sora felt her own heart breaking. She had believed for so long that he was simply a socially awkward boy with a good heart, happy to help others, always smiling… not for one second she had suspected what he kept inside.

"You have to tell people how you're feeling! You can't keep this kind of thing to yourself! It's harmful!" Sora told him, soon realizing how hypocrital that sounded.

Did she not always hide her true feelings from the others? Was she not always putting up a good face so nobody would worry about her? And while she did that, she drowned in self-deprecation. She cursed herself for not really being a good person, but pretending to be one. She wanted to be sweet and look after others, unlike her mother did to her.

She felt as if her heart had skipped a beat.

"Do I do that too?" She questioned in a whisper. "Am I… giving in to my negative thoughts? Am I letting them convince me of things that are not real? Convince me that I'm a failure… that I'm… bound to let everybody down? Convince me that my mother…?"

She felt tears rolling down her face. Could Koushiro be right? Could her mother not be the heartless person Sora had believed?

The girl tried to remember moments of her childhood without letting her dark feelings influence them. She recalled the first day in kindergarten. She had returned home and gone straight to her bedroom, throwing the hair clip against a wall. Toshiko had knocked on the door, asking if she was alright. Sora had told her to go away.

The following day, when the girl used a hat to go to school for the first time, the woman asked if something had happened. The girl left the apartment without explaining anything.

That day, when Sora returned home, she found Toshiko sitting on her bedroom's floor, with a mythology book on the lap.

* * *

 _"Is that…?"_ Sora asked.

 _"Your father's."_ The woman replied. _"He had to write a paper on Greek Mythology when he was in University. Do you want to know what creature he wanted to write about?"_

Toshiko did not wait for the girl to reply. She opened the book and showed the child a picture of a bird made of orange and red flames.

 _"Phoenix?"_ Sora read, after approaching the book.

 _"That creature burned itself down and from its own ashes resurged. No matter how many tried to destroy it, it would always be reborn."_ Toshiko explained.

 _"An immortal fire bird?"_ Sora tried not to sound impressed.

 _"Do you like its plumage?"_ Her mother asked.

 _"If I like fire?"_ The girl was evasive.

 _"It's beautiful, don't you think?"_ Toshiko smiled.

 _"There's nothing beautiful about fire!"_ Sora stated. _"It's just an ugly destructive thing…"_

 _"It's true that it can be destructive."_ Toshiko agreed. _"But it also gives people light and warmth. Don't you find its power admirable?"_

 _"No."_ Sora denied. Her mother glanced at her with sadness and stood up.

 _"Maybe you just need some time to appreciate its beauty."_ She said, leaving the bedroom.

* * *

 _Was my mother using that bird as a metaphor for something?_ Sora wondered. Toshiko had not been aggressive in any moment during that exchange. But she had never been very expressive either. _Was she trying to make me feel better about my hair and failing at communicating that? No! That can't be right! She was always cold… wasn't she? She was always disapproving of me, she didn't like me… isn't that right? It has to be… it was… or wasn't it?_

The girl thought about how her mother had drove after Sora, after the girl had stormed off to try to get to the game in time. The child was standing alone in the middle of the sidewalk. Toshiko asked her to get in the car but Sora did not listen. Then, the woman left the vehicle and carried the little girl to the car. Sora tried to resist but her leg was hurting too much. She tried to muffle her crying during the silent trip to the doctor, who scolded her. Sora's leg had to be immobilized and she needed to use a crutch for a couple of weeks.

Toshiko helped the child with everything but never said much. Sora had believed that the serious expression the woman had was due to annoyance; her mother had never been easy to read. Taichi had visited her many times and Toshiko made sweets for the two of them. Toshiko had never acted like that before, when one of Sora's friends came over.

Her mother always had that serious indecipherable expression.

 _What was she thinking?_ Sora wondered. _What was she feeling? Mother never told me. She didn't forbid me from joining the boys' soccer club… why was that? I never understood her at all…_

Sora paid more attention to the feeling of having Koushiro in her arms. Wasn't he someone who was bad at communicating his emotions? Wasn't he someone Sora never expected to have so much pain in his heart? And now, there he was, crying on her shoulder. Letting it all out. If Toshiko ever opened up to Sora, would she cry like that too?

 _I never gave her a chance._ Sora thought. _I never tried to see things from her point of view. I was so sure she was a terrible person… I wanted to believe in that. It was better than acknowledging that we were simply different… I always thought that she couldn't forgive me for not trying to meet her expectations, but didn't I set high expectations for her as well? Could it be that I made her feel inadequate? When I rebelled against her… did I hurt her feelings? Did I ever make my mother feel like she was a failure?_

Tears washed her cheeks. This time, it was Sora who hid her face in Koushiro's shoulder.

"I need to talk to my mother, once I go home." The girl whispered. "I need to ask her things… and to apologize."

"You need to apologize to the others too." Koushiro complemented. "Mimi-san even told me to scold you."

"She's a good girl." Sora said. Gently, she broke off the hug. The girl could now look at Koushiro's face. His eyes were red and a bit swollen but he showed her a small smile.

"I spent so much time imagining how I could save you…" Koushiro muttered, drying his tears. "I hadn't planned to cry on you like that… how embarrassing…"

"There's nothing embarrassing about it." Sora reprehended him, rubbing her eyes. "Besides, I did the same thing."

"Otae-san said that we had similar personalities." Koushiro recalled. "I thought I had to focus on that to reach you but… maybe it was our differences that I should've focused on."

"What?" Sora smirked. "Our similarities separated us but our differences brought us together?"

Koushiro chuckled.

"I remembered something kind of random." He said. "Do you know Camões?"

"Who?" Sora asked.

"A Portuguese poet from the Great Navigations time, I think." Koushiro explained. "I read a translation of one of his poems sometime ago. A poem about paradoxes... probably…"

"How was it?" Sora inquired, in a soft voice.

"I don't remember much… there was a part about… a wound that hurt without being felt… and fire that burned without being seen…"

Suddenly, Koushiro placed his right hand over his chest.

"It's warm." He said, surprised. "I didn't notice when it happened."

"You were cold… where I had touched you?" Sora paled, glancing at her hands. "I did that… I'm sorry. I'm sorry about everything…"

"It's okay, honestly." Koushiro smiled. "The cloaked person said that this place is a representation of your mind. Maybe the warmth and the coldness are linked to your emotional state."

"That thing… didn't hurt you?" Sora inquired.

"She wanted to take me and Birdramon out of the orb." The boy replied. "She was born from the memory I had seen in the mirror… some of my negative feelings might've influenced her. But she's mainly part of you now… and she wanted to protect Birdramon and me."

"Protect you two from me." Sora thought aloud. "Birdramon wouldn't leave me behind. No matter how much I messed up, she wouldn't give up on me."

"None of us would." Koushiro clarified. "You're our dear friend, Sora-san. We all would do anything to help you, and we know that you would do the same for us."

"I would." Sora had a serene smile. She could make mistakes and hurt those she loved, but they would always forgive her in the end. They trusted her and cared for her. Now Sora had come to understand that, if she opened her heart to them, they would understand. And the girl would do the same for them whenever they needed.

"Koushiro-kun, you can leave now." She told him, standing up and helping the boy to do the same.

"But-" The boy was going to protest. Sora put her right hand on one of his shoulders, which made him stay quiet.

"It's okay." She smiled. "You helped me a lot."

Koushiro blushed. He seemed to think deeply about something for a few seconds, and then he said in loud voice:

"I want to leave the orb!"

In a blink of an eye, he disappeared. Sora left the apartment and soon the building as well. On the street, hot wind caressed her face. She looked up and saw the sky being taken by huge orange flames. The crest of love shone vividly among them.

Sora ran in the direction of the wall of ice, paying attention to nothing else. Once she arrived there, the girl saw Birdramon's body almost completely free from the melting ice.

"Sora!" The digimon called the girl, happily. Sora jumped to her and embraced her partner's neck.

"I'm sorry, Birdramon. I hurt you so much." The girl told her. "I made terrible mistakes."

"It's okay." Birdramon shed tears of joy.

"I need to make it up for you and everybody else." Sora said, leaning back and looking into her friend's eyes. "Thank you for waiting for me."

The digimon was gladly surprised to hear that. _Sora_ _is not drowning in guilt anymore._

"I can't believe it." A voice said behind them. Sora turned around and saw the cloaked figure.

"You!" Birdramon hissed.

"It's okay, she's not our enemy." Sora calmed her friend down. She went to the stranger and, once she was only one step away, the girl pulled the other's hood.

Staring back at her there was a girl with reddish eyes and hair of fire.

"Another… Sora?" Birdramon was confused.

"She's part of me." Sora explained. "She wanted to protect you from myself."

"I thought there was no hope for you." The other said, becoming transparent. "I thought you would never stop hitting the same dead end."

"That would've happened if I had stayed by myself." Sora admitted.

The other chuckled.

"All you needed was a shoulder to cry on? Seriously?"

"Isn't that what everybody needs?" Sora smirked.

The other Sora had almost totally disappeared. Before vanishing completely, she said one last thing:

"No more running away."

Sora picked her glowing red digivice and pointed it to the sky.

"Never." She vowed.

The sky was torn apart and the orange flames descended. Instead of burning, they felt like a warm rain. The crest shrunk and fell into the digivice like a shooting star. Once it was absorbed, the machine emitted red and orange flames that completely surrounded Birdramon.

"BIRDRAMON SUPER EVOLVES TO… GARUDAMON!"

A giant bird with arms and legs emerged from the flames and lowered one of her hands to Sora's level. The girl jumped on it immediately.

"We can't let them wait anymore." Sora said.

"Let's go!" Garudamon replied, ascending to a world free of darkness.

* * *

Mimi, Jyou, Takeru, Tanemon, Pukamon, Patamon and Motimon had entered the room after Koushiro was absorbed. The boy's partner had explained what Otae had said about the orb.

"All of this because of a broken mirror?" Mimi was surprised.

"I wonder what kind of memory Koushiro saw." Patamon commented.

"We shouldn't ask them about it. It'd be rude." Jyou said.

"Sora-san wanted to protect me…" Takeru muttered, looking down. "All of this because she couldn't trust me."

"You weren't giving good reasons for her to trust you." Tanemon told the boy. "Snapping at people doesn't send a good message."

"Angemon had just died." Takeru said. "I'm getting better now…"

"We know that." Mimi smiled at the little boy. "I'm sure Sora-san knows that too. But it's a slow process."

"Things changed and we have to adjust ourselves to them." Jyou added. "Everything is messy right now and we were dealing with things out of our control…"

"Then, I should work hard." Takeru decided. "I have to convince you all that I don't need to be protected instead of just complaining about it."

"Everybody needs to be protected once in a while." Mimi said. "People can be both fragile and strong. That's why we need to support one another. When someone is down, the people who are in a better place can bring them up. And then, when these people get down, they can be helped by those helped before."

"Mimi-han, that was beautiful." Motimon grinned at her. "Be sure to tell Koushiro-han once he comes back."

"No need for that. I've heard it." Koushiro's voice caught their attention. They looked to their left and saw the boy standing there, smiling.

"Koushiro-han!" Motimon went to him. "Are you okay? You don't seem hurt! That's good! Where are your gloves?"

"Oh." The boy seemed to only notice the absence of his gloves in that moment. "They stayed behind."

"What about Sora-san?" Takeru asked, apprehensively.

"We had a good talk. I think she's better now." Koushiro replied.

"You had a good talk during the couple of minutes you were away?" Pukamon was skeptical.

"Couple of minutes?" Koushiro sounded surprised. "I see… time must be faster inside the orb."

"Should it be glowing like that?" Mimi inquired, pointing to the sphere. It was glowing in red and orange, and emitting heat.

"We'd better not get too close to it." Jyou suggested.

They all went to the opposite side of the room. Suddenly, the orb exploded, dispersing flames that did not burn. Once the air was cleared, Garudamon had replaced the orb. The giant bird-like creature kneeled and lowered one palm to the floor. Sora jumped from it to the ground.

"Guys!" She called them. _I have so much to apologize for. And so much to explain. How should I begin?_ She wondered. Before she could say anything else, Takeru ran to her and hugged her tightly.

"SOOOORAAA-SAAANNN!" The little boy cried.

"T-Takeru-kun!" Sora was taken aback. "I'm so sorry! I'm sorry for worrying you like that… for worrying you all…"

"You better be sorry, Sora-san!" Mimi scolded the older girl, getting close to her. However, her disapproving look soon changed to a teary one. The fourth-grader also hugged Sora and cried. "Don't scare us like that again!"

"I won't. I promise." Sora said, softly, putting an arm around each child.

"I want a hug too!" Pyokomon said, jumping around Sora.

"Pyokomon, when did you…?" The fifth-grader was confused, glancing from the little digimon to the spot where Garudamon had been moments before.

"We have many things to talk about, Sora-kun." Jyou told her. "But before that... what happened to your hands?!"

"Ah!" Sora was startled. "I can explain! I need to explain a lot… I don't want to hide things from you guys again."

They all sat in a circle and Sora told them everything, starting from her relationship with her mother. She hesitated in some points, but kept going, knowing that she owed them an explanation. Mimi had a sorrowful look on her face when Sora mentioned that she had been bullied because of her hair. Jyou paled and showed Sora an apologetic look when the fifth-grader explained how she felt about continuing her family's tradition. Takeru, who had already heard about Sora's father living away, developed even greater sympathy for the girl now that he understood how much his absence hurt her. When it came to the part of her conversation with Koushiro, she tried to omit the details, but the fourth-grader boy took it on himself to explain everything.

That full disclosure was not easy for any of them. They got anxious and got tears in their eyes at some points. But nobody pressured or interrupted Sora or Koushiro. Once the narration was over, nobody said anything for a brief moment.

"Are you… okay?" Sora inquired, uneasy.

"Are you?" Takeru asked, worried, looking from Sora to Koushiro.

"I can't understand how you could keep so much to yourselves." Mimi murmured.

"If you had told me how you felt, Sora-kun, I wouldn't-" Jyou began.

"I thought I couldn't possibly be your leader." Sora did not let him finish. "I allowed my misconceptions to cloud my views and couldn't see my own value clearly. I thought that I wasn't as good as you perceived me and was terrified of you finding that out. I was scared… I kept things from you that I shouldn't have. I'm deeply sorry for behaving like that."

"We've already forgiven you, Sora-san." Mimi assured the older girl and everybody nodded in agreement.

Sora smiled, brightly, and continued:

"I want to help you and look after you all. And if I get overwhelmed, I'd like to be helped by you as well. If it's okay… if you all agree…" She took a deep breath. "I would like to be your leader. I promise you I'll do my best."

Everybody remained quiet for one long minute. Pyokomon was the first one to manifest.

"If that's what you really want, I give you all my support!"

"I already considered Sora-san our leader but it's good to make it official." Takeru said.

"I know Sora-kun will do a great job." Jyou affirmed. "I only ask her to keep being sincere with us and letting us help her."

"Jyou, she already said she was going to do that. Were you paying attention?" Pukamon teased.

"O-Of course I was!" Jyou blushed intensely.

"I wholeheartedly accept Sora-san as our leader!" Mimi announced.

"Me too." Koushiro added, giving the older girl a confident smile.

"I have no complaints." Tanemon declared.

"If a leader is needed, it better be a kind one." Patamon commented.

"If everybody agrees, I won't oppose." Motimon said.

"Thank you." Sora felt a couple of tears forming in her eyes and did not feel the need to wipe them. She was at peace, showing all of her to her trusted friends. She would give her all and that would be enough, because she knew how much she mattered for them.

If kindness was a choice, maybe love was promise. And Takenouchi Sora promised to herself that she would never again lie to those she loved.

 **The poem Koushiro alludes to is called "Amor é um Fogo que Arde sem se Ver" by Luís Vaz de Camões.**

 **Also, I want to wish a happy birthday to my friend SkuAg. I had planned for this chapter to coincide with your special day. I dedicate "A short story about love" to you, wonderful Sku. :)**


	22. For friendship, perhaps

After closing the portal behind her, Otae pulled the object she had found inside Kanda's tracking bracelet from her left pocket. She threw the plastic ring in his direction. The man grabbed it in midair, looked at it and then put the ring in his own pocket.

"I hope I don't have to return this again." Otae murmured, looking down.

"Otae-san…" Homura approached her slowly, looking at Otae's dirty clothes with tear brimmed eyes. "What happened to you?"

"I've always had a shitty fashion sense, come on!" Otae tried to joke but soon realized that was not the right time for that. Homura was now a step away from her and a couple of tears dropped from her eyes.

"I s-shouldn't have…" Homura sobbed. "I w-was awful! I was s-so a-awful to you! The things I t-told you…"

"It's okay!" Otae hurried to say, holding the other's hands. "I left you guys! I ran away!"

"I'm sorry!" Homura cried. "I'm so sorry!"

"Please, don't cry, Homura-chii!" Otae pleaded. "I can't bear to see you cry!"

The older woman looked at the other with surprise.

"You… had stopped calling me 'chii.'" She murmured.

Otae's eyes widened.

"Yeah… if you don't want to-"

"I always liked when you called me 'chii,' Otae-san." Homura interrupted, wiping her tears with the backs of her hands. "I think we all liked that."

"I'm going to take Nanomon to the main base." Kanda muttered, heading to the exit.

"Hold on, Kanda-kun!" Homura shouted, turning to the man. "Aren't you going to say anything to Otae-san?"

"I just wanted to see if she was alright and she seems to be." He said without turning around.

"Kanda, wait." Otae called him. "There are things that we have to talk about."

"You don't have to force yourself-" Kanda began.

"I want to talk to you!" Otae reiterated.

"But I'm busy now! I need to go to the main base and-" Kanda opposed.

"Then, I'm going with you!" Otae stated.

That assertion made Kanda turn around, astonished.

"You… want to go to that place again?" He asked in a whisper.

"Not even I have returned there ever since…" Homura mumbled.

"I can't keep running." Otae said.

"I'm not going to stop you." Kanda muttered, walking away again. "I'll wait for you in the travel base."

After he left them alone, Otae kept staring at the sliding door.

"The two of you…" Homura hesitated.

"You shouldn't worry about us." Otae told her with a little smile. "I want to ask you something."

"Yes." Homura agreed.

"I haven't said what it is yet." Otae said back.

"I have an idea of what it is." Homura sighed. "I've been thinking about it since this morning."

"Yeah, but let me tell you anyway." The other insisted.

Otae's wish was indeed the same as Homura's.

 **Chapter 22: For friendship, perhaps**

There once was an angel digimon who boasted about being the savior chosen by Fate. He vowed to bring peace to a world filled with meaningless wars. Few took him seriously at the beginning. But, steadily, he gained allies and formed a powerful army. After conquering a considerable territory, he crowned himself Emperor. One of his most devoted followers, Nanomon, came up with the name the Emperor wanted to be remembered for: Seraphimon, the Magnificent.

The name for which he was actually remembered for, Bloody Lord, was said to have been created by an enemy warrior, who was so celebrated by the Resistance against Seraphimon that a song was written in her honor: the Ballad of the Strongest Fairy. The heroine was defeated by Seraphimon, like all others before and after her. But her example helped to inspire uncountable new digimon to oppose the Empire.

A major contingent of Seraphimon's opposition hid in the Cloud Continent, a place secluded in mist at the south of the Server Continent. It was nearly impossible for an invading army to defeat digimon who knew how to move in that place. No matter how hard Seraphimon tried, he could never take that Continent. No matter how many he defeated in battle, new rebels would appear.

That situation had remained stagnant for a few centuries. Many said that he would never be able to truly conquer the world. But Nanomon promised his master to give him a means to strike a deadly blow at the Resistance.

His promise was fulfilled in one fateful night.

A flash crossed the sky, coming from Seraphimon's main Headquarters. That beam of white light was so strong that those who looked at it directly became blind. The massive amount of energy fell upon the Cloud Continent less than one minute after being fired.

In the blink of an eye, that land was erased from existence.

Above the boiling ocean, the corrupted data of almost one billion digimon that were on the Cloud Continent was condensed in a hovering giant black sphere, which caused space to distort around it.

Across the world, digimon with telepathic powers would claim to be able to hear the cries of the trapped souls, who were unable to be reborn.

The weapon used that night was called "Reaper."

Even Seraphimon's most trusted generals, Jokermon, Megaseadramon and Megadramon, were horrified by the Reaper. They had noticed that their Emperor was becoming more paranoid and ruthless with the passing of the years, but they had never anticipated such a demonstration of cruelty. The generals planned a secret trip to File Island, where a digimon said to be as powerful as Seraphimon lived as a recluse. They were received by Angewomon and Pumpmon, who would not let them see their mistress. However, the Lady of Infinity Mountain left her chamber to talk to them.

She already knew what had happened and what she had to do. With sorrow and conviction, she went to see her brother.

Seraphimon had believed that the Reaper would seal his victory. Instead, the use of that weapon brought him death by the hands of his sister.

The Lady of Infinity Mountain was proclaimed a heroine and pressured to become the new Empress. She resisted and tried to decline the offer, but Angewomon convinced her that the world would not be at peace if the strongest digimon alive did not become its ruler.

The woman refused to be an Empress, but she was still called "Queen." She vowed to undo the harm her brother had brought to the world and created a society with the goal of rescuing the victims of the Reaper and enable them to be reborn. That society was mainly composed of researchers and priests dedicated to the salvation of those souls. The priests were mostly digimon with telepathic powers, whose prayers would be able to reach the victims and diminish their misery. For that reason, the society came to be known as the Sanctuary.

The three generals and the majority of Seraphimon's army vowed loyalty to the Queen. She redacted new laws and worked to guarantee a fairer treatment to digimon who had been subjugated during Seraphimon's rule and to promote autonomy to the towns and equality to the population.

However, those who had been loyal to Seraphimon did not approve the Sanctuary's policies. They financed an independent research institution called the Academy, which assembled former retainers of Seraphimon, including Nanomon. The Sanctuary's Council, composed by Angewomon, Pumpmon, Jokermon, Megaseadramon and Megadramon, urged the Queen to crush the Academy before it could become a threat.

The Queen, however, chose to give the Academy the benefit of the doubt, believing that the times of animosity were past them and they all should focus on fixing the world. A loyal follower of the Queen, who had become one of the best researchers in the Sanctuary, led a secret investigation on the Academy's files and a certain "Homeostasis project" alarmed him to the point of ordering a subordinate to attack an installment on File Island. The installment vanished from that dimension. The Academy swore that justice would fall upon the Sanctuary.

To the Council's concern, the Queen still refused to take measurements against the Academy, this time explaining that the institution had been cowardly attacked by her subordinate and that she would do everything to ensure a peaceful resolution for the situation.

The Academy did not make any move for months. Things seemed to be well, until a fateful day, when a city in the west was conquered and occupied by agents of the Academy. The news flew around the world. By the time it reached File Island, Angewomon stepped into the Queen's private chamber.

The leader of the Sanctuary was appalled and questioned:

"The Academy… has an army?"

"The perpetrators were five digimon who could evolve with the help of five humans." Angewomon explained.

"Humans?!" The Queen nearly shouted in shock.

Angewomon nodded, before adding:

"They call themselves 'chosen children.'"

* * *

Kanda had been in the children's institution since he was a newborn baby. He had been left there in a winter night, still covered in blood. Nobody ever came to look for him. But to think about the people who abandoned him was frightening. To think that the family he had did not love him was upsetting. So, Kanda tried not to think about those things at all.

Instead, he decided that he would be a happy person. He liked people and wanted people to like him. He would always smile and be nice to the other children, which made them be fond of him. He became known for being serene and kind, always willing to help anyone who asked. A part of him felt guilty when he heard those compliments. He knew he was far from being someone who did good things with no self-interest. But Kanda enjoyed the attention he received. The smiles and the sweet words people gave him were filled with warmth and he came to believe that that happiness came from being good to people, not just for being liked by them. It was a thought that gave him some peace. However, there was still a hollow in his heart.

When he was seven years old, a girl one year older than him came to the orphanage. She had long black hair and a serious attitude. Homura did not measure her words, stating whatever crossed her mind anytime. She did not seem to care whether she was liked or not, which was incomprehensible to the boy. He assumed that he too was incomprehensible to her. Whenever he tried to initiate polite conversation, the stare the girl gave him felt as if her eyes could pierce into his soul. She made him uncomfortable and was not well appreciated by the other children. It would be easy for Kanda to ignore her and be satisfied with the acquaintances he already had. But he did not like to see Homura all alone.

By observing her, he learned a lot. Homura could not seem easygoing, but the girl knew how to enjoy herself. She liked period dramas about samurais and was not willing to miss even one episode. Whenever some of the other kids tried to switch the channel, the girl would become ferocious. Miss Tanaka, the adult responsible for the institution, reprehended Homura time and time again, but the girl never gave in. Her stubbornness was so great that people usually found it less bothersome to simply let her do as she pleased. It was not as if she had many wishes, anyway. Homura was happy as long as she could watch the samurais and then pretend to be one. Even if no one else was willing to play with her.

"May I play?" Kanda asked one day.

The girl, who liked to wear frilly blouses and skirts, was swinging a broom in a corner of the living room. She studied him for a minute, before agreeing. Kanda learned that Homura had various rules regarding playing and that, if he did not follow them, she would not let him play with her again. The boy followed them all perfectly, leaving the girl torn between slight annoyance and delight. He began to watch the period dramas with her and they played every day. With time, Homura loosened up around him. She told him about her parents and her beliefs, but never asked for his advice or help. Kanda thought that Homura was extremely independent and self-assured, someone who did not need him for anything. That understanding made the boy smile. For the first time, he was sure to be with someone who simply enjoyed his company, and not for what he could do for them.

One year later, a boy two years older than Kanda came to the institution. He had been left there by his father, who said that he would return one day. Tamaki was very timid at first and, from his clothes and the way he behaved and talked, it was evident that his family had money. He was not the type to keep secrets; therefore, he would tell the same story as many times as he was asked about his upbringing, without hesitating. He said that his family owned a company, but it went bankrupt and they lost everything. His parents told him to wait in the institution until they solved their financial situation. But Tamaki did not have an explanation for the lack of news from his parents. The adults never called, never wrote to him, never sent him anything. It did not take long for the other kids to say that his parents had ditched him and would never come back.

"Silly silly Tamaki, not even his family likes him!" A group of boys chanted one day, during breakfast. "His parents couldn't wait to get rid of him!"

Homura glanced at Miss Tanaka, who did not do anything about the mean-spirited song. Kanda pondered about why they were picking at Tamaki. Most of the children in that place had been abandoned, what was different about him? _His family was rich_ , _they think that the son of a wealthy family would only be abandoned if the family didn't care for him_ , Kanda theorized.

"That's not true…" Tamaki whimpered, which made a wave of laughter irrupt from the table.

"What was that? Did you say something?" A twelve years old boy called Uri stood up and walked to where Tamaki was sitting; the ten years old blond kid was rubbing his eyes.

"P-please, stop saying those things." Tamaki pleaded, as new tears formed in his eyes.

Uri chuckled loudly and said:

"I'll stop when you start acting like a man!"

Homura punched the table, standing up. She was across from the two boys, by Kanda's left.

"Leave Tamaki-san alone, he did nothing wrong!" She ordered. The cold fury that emerged from her was enough to make the other children, who had been cheering for Uri, become quiet. The twelve year old boy, however, was not intimidated by the girl.

"That's some big talk for some tiny girl wearing a pink dress." He mocked.

"My size and my good taste in clothes won't stop me from beating you to a pulp." She replied, without breaking eye contact for a second.

"This is enough, Homura!" Miss Tanaka said, rising from her seat. The middle-aged woman, who kept her brown hair firmly tied in a bun, looked at the girl with severity. "You need to learn how to behave!"

"Why are you telling me that and not Uri?" Homura inquired, angrily.

"That's just how boys are." Tanaka said. "Tamaki-kun needs to stand up for himself if he doesn't want to be treated like that."

Homura began an intense argument with the woman, while Tamaki sneaked away. Kanda followed him until the boys' bedroom, where the blond child had curled up on his bed.

"Hey." Kanda greeted, sitting in front of the bed, cross-legged. "Don't let what Uri-san said affect you. He has some anger issues."

"I-I know that I'm pathetic…" Tamaki cried, hiding his face on the pillow. "A cry-baby who never got in a fight his whole damn life…"

"What's so wrong with not getting into fights?" Kanda asked. "Homura-san gets in fights all the time and I'm the one who has to tend to her bruises. It's not fun at all."

Tamaki moved his face to look at Kanda. The younger boy was showing him a warm smile.

"I shouldn't be lectured by a kid smaller than me… nor should I be defended by a little girl."

"If you talk like that in front of Homura-san, she's going to get mad." Kanda smirked. "She can be seriously scary sometimes, but she has her heart in the right place and I admire that."

Homura suddenly entered the room and slammed the door behind her.

"She told me to go to the girls' bedroom and think about what I did wrong! Can you believe her?!" The girl exclaimed.

"Shouldn't you be there, then?" Kanda asked.

"I did nothing wrong! Therefore, I don't have to obey that unjust order!" She replied.

"Why must you be such a trouble-maker, Homura-san?" Kanda sighed. Truthfully, he liked how courageous the girl was.

From that day on, Tamaki began to tag along with the two of them. As he felt more at ease, the older boy showed more of himself. He had a good sense of humor and liked to tease his friends, but never had any malice. If he felt he had made someone sad, Tamaki apologized for the entirety of the day. Kanda admired the older boy's earnestness and cheer. Homura also seemed to appreciate the blonde's company. Tamaki still was not good at standing up for himself, but the other kids had acknowledged that he had become Homura's friend and it was not a good idea to be mean to him anymore.

Four years later, a couple of siblings were brought to the institution. They had been found on the streets and refused to talk about their home or family. The boy, who was eleven years old, was the most talkative of the two. He had a charismatic vibe and meshed well with the majority of the kids in that place. The girl, who was Kanda's age, remained silent most of the time. Her very short hair and large clothes led him to think, at first, that she was a boy.

Otae had an inquisitive nature, finding enjoyment in fixing old broken objects like clocks, toys, and a radio. Not that she was very expressive, but those who paid attention could notice a glow in her blue eyes whenever she dismantled something, comprehended it and put it together again. For Kanda, the girl's love for learning was obvious. He thought that her intelligence could achieve anything. She was not especially beautiful or graceful. However, when Otae worked, the world seemed to become silent, as if it stopped moving to contemplate art being created. But the girl acted as if she did not notice that she crafted wonders.

When the television broke, Homura did not have to ask twice for Otae to rapidly disassemble the object, find the problem, fix it and put the TV together again, better than it was before. The samurais were better discerned and their honorable path seemed to have become brighter in Homura's eyes. The older girl was so enthusiastic for the achievement that she showed Otae the brightest smile she had ever mustered, while thanking her profusely. The younger girl stared at her with wide eyes the same way she looked at things that she had opened to study.

"Is there something wrong?" Homura asked, seriously.

"No." Otae answered.

"Of course, there is! Why else would you stare at me like that?" Homura spoke with annoyance.

"It's not a problem; it's just something that I hadn't realized before." Otae replied, calmly.

"What is it, huh?" Homura insisted.

Tamaki and Kanda were close-by, getting anxious over the exchange. Kanda was pleading mentally for Homura not to create trouble with the new girl. Otae examined Homura's features with attention and then said:

"Back in Shimane, I had a Math teacher who lent me a book. In that book, I read about the Fibonacci Sequence, which is a sequence of numbers in which each subsequent term corresponds to the addition of the two terms that came before." Otae narrated. "Right now, when I saw you smiling, I thought the exact same thing from when I read about the Fibonacci Sequence."

 _This is bad!_ Kanda was worried. _Homura-san doesn't like Math, is Otae-san going to insult her somehow?_

"What did you think?" Homura asked in low voice. Otae gazed into her eyes and told her:

"You are extraordinarily beautiful."

Tamaki laughed, whispering "lady-killer" in Kanda's ear. The smaller boy, however, did not respond to him.

During the years Kanda had known Homura, he had never seen her in that state of absolute shock and awe nor had he ever heard her grasping for words and failing to convey what she wanted to communicate. Perhaps, Homura herself was not sure about what she wanted to say. It was clear that something had changed after Otae had pronounced that simple sentence, but the boy would take some time to understand what it was.

It was very strange to observe Homura's behavior around Otae from that day onwards. She would blush and get nervous constantly, but would still find every opportunity to talk to the younger girl and include her in their group. Otae's brother, Shinsuke, remained somewhat distant from them. But Kanda could feel the boy's piercing blue eyes in several occasions.

Shinsuke was a well-liked and charming boy, and remained pleasant towards them all until the following Christmas Eve, which was also Homura's birthday. Miss Tanaka had baked a cake and nobody was creating any trouble. Kanda had bought a box of candy for his oldest friend, but the girl did not like that brand and told him to keep it. He decided to share it with Tamaki and Otae. The older boy was sitting next to Kanda, and the girls were sitting across from them. The other kids had already left the table by that moment.

At the bottom of the box, there was a plastic ring.

"The same color of your eyes." He said, offering the object to Otae. She blinked in confusion.

"It's Homura-san's birthday, you should give it to her."

"You can have it!" Homura interjected. "Otae-san can have everything she wants!"

"And you're ready to provide for her, aren't you, Homura-chan?" Tamaki teased, enjoying watching the older girl's face turning scarlet.

"Thank you." Otae muttered, taking the plastic ring. By that time, the younger girl had let her hair grow down to her shoulders. It was still short compared to Homura's -hers reached her waist- but it was enough to make Otae more distinguishable from her brother. Nevertheless, she still preferred to wear large shirts and shorts and did not like to style her hair, no matter how much Homura offered herself to do it.

"A Christmas gift?" Kanda heard someone ask behind him. He turned around and found Shinsuke at the kitchen's door, with a serene smile on his face.

"Shinsuke-chii!" Otae greeted. "Come join us!"

"Unless you think you're too cool to be seen with us." Tamaki joked.

"I'm simply shy." Shinsuke said, which almost made Kanda gasp; he could not imagine anyone farther away from being shy. Otae's brother was the type of person who could enter a room and make everybody pay attention to him. He was confident and had a natural talent with words. People respected Shinsuke and were attracted to him without the boy having to do anything. It was true, though, that Shinsuke avoided spending time with Kanda's group, preferring to talk to Otae alone. Kanda had assumed that the younger boy felt awkward around his sister's friends.

"You're certainly not shy with the other kids, Shin-chan." Tamaki observed.

"You can simply say that you don't like us, Shinsuke-kun." Homura added.

"I have a lot of respect for you, Homura-san." Shinsuke told her. "You're strong, upfront and dependable. It's reassuring to know that Nee-chan-"

"I don't need anyone to look after me." Otae interrupted, slightly raising her voice. It was rare to witness her reprehending her brother in any way. Shinsuke was startled for a few seconds, but soon regained his cool.

"Kanda-san, could you come with me? I finally got a birthday gift for you." Shinsuke said.

"Kanda-kun's birthday was in November 5th, isn't it kind of late for a birthday gift?" Tamaki found that suspicious. "Besides, shouldn't you give Homura-chan something?"

"I take my time to find the perfect gifts." Shinsuke replied. "Let's go, Kanda-san?"

"Sure." Kanda agreed. He followed the younger child to the boys' bedroom. The other kids were still playing in the living room, so the two of them were alone. Shinsuke sat on Kanda's bed, which was next to the right wall, and asked the other to sit by his side, which he did. The lights were turned off, but the moon light that was coming from the window illuminated Shinsuke's face and gray hair. Kanda felt uncomfortable by the way he was being looked at by that child. Shinsuke was smiling, but his eyes were cold.

"Why did you give Nee-chan that ring?" He asked.

"Huh?" Kanda was taken by surprise. "I thought you were going to give me-"

"Answer my question." Shinsuke commanded, sending chills down Kanda's spine.

"It was in the candy box and its color reminded me of her eyes… your eyes too… and she was right in front of me." Kanda explained, slowly. "There wasn't any deep reason behind that."

Shinsuke kept on staring at him, sustaining a smile that Kanda now saw as fake.

"I've been studying the people of this orphanage for a few months now." Shinsuke said. "Most of them are easy to figure out. It's easy to make a good impression on them and earn their good will. You know that already."

"Why do you say that?" Kanda raised an eyebrow.

"I've talked to every single person in this place." Shinsuke continued. "You know? Homura-san and Tamaki-san aren't very popular. One would expect that a child who spent a lot of time with them would be disliked as well. But I couldn't find even one single person who had anything bad to say about you, Kanda-san. You have an amazingly good reputation. Intelligent, reasonable, helpful, patient, sweet… the way people talk about you makes one think that you can't possibly be a real person."

"It's funny to hear you saying those things about me." Kanda put a smile on the lips. "From what I heard, you're just as unreal as me, Shinsuke-kun."

They stayed in silence for two minutes, smiling at each other. But they both could see the other's eyebrows twitching.

"I understand people." Shinsuke affirmed. "It's easy for me to tell what they want to hear. They don't even notice what I'm doing… it's funny."

"There's nothing funny about that." Kanda dropped the smile. "It's a good thing to be kind to people."

"Why?" Shinsuke questioned.

"What do you mean by 'why?'" Kanda was confused.

"Why is it good to be kind?" The other inquired, narrowing his eyes. "Why are _you_ kind, Kanda-san?"

 _Is this guy serious?_ Kanda wondered, feeling cold sweat covering his face. He never thought he had to justify kindness; the fact that someone had asked him to do so astonished him.

"Because it feels good to help people." He replied. "Isn't that how it is with everybody?"

Shinsuke raised both eyebrows and his smile was replaced by a semi-open mouth. Why was he so surprised to hear that?

"Do you feel like that with everybody?" The younger boy asked. "Isn't there anyone you don't want to help? Someone you might actually want to hurt?"

"Why would I ever want to hurt anyone?!" Kanda was horrified by that thought. There were people who annoyed him from time to time, but he knew he just had to be patient and get to know them better. From his experience, people were good and if they did not seem good immediately it was because they had not revealed enough of themselves.

"Heh." Shinsuke chuckled. "Sorry, Kanda-san. I thought you and I were the same. But it turns out that you really are something that I used to think that didn't exist: a good person."

"You didn't think good people existed?!" Kanda was perplexed. "What about your sister? And Homura-san? And Tamaki-san?"

"They're less bad than the majority, I suppose." Shinsuke explained. "Plus, I love my sister, with her flaws and all."

"It's not good to focus on the flaws of people." Kanda told him.

"It's essential to do so!" The other contested. "If you're unaware of the evil that surrounds you, that same evil will destroy what you treasure."

"You…" Kanda was in a loss of words.

"I'm heading back now." Shinsuke said suddenly, standing up. "If they ask, you could say that I gave you candy."

"You don't talk like a child, Shinsuke-kun." Kanda managed to say.

"Most children haven't been through what I have." Shinsuke muttered. "They're sheltered little things who never had to take action."

"Take action?" Kanda questioned, gazing at the other's back.

"How far are you willing to go for someone you love, Kanda-san?" Shinsuke asked in a low and serious voice. The lack of answer made him add: "Never mind that. If you're lucky, you'll never have to worry about such things."

Otae's brother left Kanda alone with his thoughts. He shared them with nobody, like he always did when concerned. Kanda continued to be his usual pleasant self to people and nobody seemed to notice anything different. Otae, however, seemed to stare at him longer than before. And she talked to him less.

That was until a day when he was watering the plants in front of the children's institution, by himself. Kanda felt that he was being observed and turned around to find Otae a few steps away. It was a slightly cold January day and both kids were wearing thin jackets. The girl had her usual hard to decipher expression, which made him feel uneasy. She seemed to always be thinking deeply about something important, but he could not guess was going through her mind.

"Your parents didn't want you, right?" Otae phrased that question the same way a person asks about the weather.

Kanda was taken aback. Luckily, he had mastered the ability to mask his emotions when people asked about his family. He was not sure about the reason, but he found it shameful when someone noticed that he felt bothered by something.

"Who knows?" He murmured, feigning indifference. "I never had the chance to ask them."

"It's good that you haven't met them." She said. Kanda rested the water bowl on the doorstep and paid full attention to her.

"Is there a reason for you to bring up this subject?" Kanda could not muster a smile in that moment. Miss Tanaka had never made it a secret that he had been abandoned on a winter night by someone who did not even bother to knock on the door. It was not shocking that Otae came to know the story, but her behavior was strange. There was not a trace of sympathy or pity, things he was used to see in those who had questioned him about his family. Nevertheless, he could not decipher what was there in her tone of voice that made him uneasy.

"Shinsuke-chii said that you were a good person." Otae commented. "It intrigued me."

"Why?" Kanda inquired. Otae glanced at the floor and then looked into his eyes.

"You're good, although you weren't loved by your parents." She muttered. "You didn't even get to know the people who despised you… as far as you know, you haven't ruined anyone's life. It makes me envious."

"What?" Kanda was puzzled.

"That sounds awful, right?" Otae laughed, nervously. "A sweet boy like you can't understand."

"You guys never said anything about your family." Kanda said. "You mentioned Shimane once, but nobody knows your family name."

"My brother could've told his family name if he wanted to. But I don't have the right to use his father's name…" She gulped. "To be honest, I don't want to be associated with that man's name."

"Why? Isn't he your father too?" Kanda asked.

"My Mother was tricked by some city man and got pregnant." She explained briefly. "Her family forced her to marry an old man she hated… they said I was born before time…"

 _They're half siblings_ , Kanda remarked mentally.

"Mother..." Otae hesitated. "She used to say that I had ruined her life."

"I'm sorry about that." Kanda said, feeling his heart getting heavy.

"She ran away one day." Otae continued. "Shinsuke's father told me that I should be grateful to him for letting me keep living with them. That man had never seen me as his child… he was always screaming… always… he looked at me like…" Her hands trembled and she glanced down. "He made me work in the house. He told me to be respectful but I never was… things would've been better if I had done as he said but I couldn't… I hated him. **I hated him!** "

Her disgusted tone disturbed Kanda.

"I planned to run away but Shinsuke didn't let me go alone." Otae spoke with shame, as if she was confessing a crime. "He didn't have to… his father was kind to him! But I did not dissuade Shinsuke-chii… I was afraid of being alone… I shouldn't have let him…"

"He loves you!" Kanda assured her.

"That's the problem." Otae said. "If he didn't love me, he would still be in that farm, living with his family. I let him throw it all away… I'm so despicable…"

Her eyes were getting wet and Kanda had the urge to hug her. He resisted it, though.

"You didn't do anything wrong!" He stated. "You didn't deserve to be treated that way! But, trust me, you deserve to be loved by your brother… and by your friends."

She stared at him without saying anything back for a couple of minutes. Those wide inexpressive eyes confused and frustrated him.

"I'm not lying to you!" Kanda affirmed.

"I know." She told him. "It's just that I can't think on a reason for you to tell me all that."

"I said those things because I didn't want you to keep believing that you're bad and that you don't deserve love!" He felt like stating the obvious.

"Why?"

"Why do I have to justify it?!" Kanda yelled, frustrated. "Is it that strange that I want people to be happy?!"

He was never the kind of person who would shout at people. Kanda immediately regret his outburst when he saw a thick tear leave Otae's right eye.

"I'm sorry!" He hurried to apologize. "I didn't want to upset you! I shouldn't have shouted!"

"You want me to be happy?" She asked.

"Of course!" Kanda was confused by her reaction. "I'm your friend, after all! I'm sure that Homura-san and Tamaki-san want your happiness too! Your brother wants that as well!"

"Thank you, Kanda-chii." Otae said, showing him a small smile. The boy was surprised to hear the honorific she only used to address her brother, but it made him happy.

"I did nothing special." He told her, smiling timidly.

"You go out of your way to reach out for people and make them feel good. I'm happy that someone like you…" She stopped, seeming to be looking for the right words to say. "I'm… I'm glad that you exist."

Kanda was not able to reply. It was as if his brain had forgotten how to process thoughts. The information had entered his ears, he was sure of that, but there was something stopping him from fully comprehending it. Otae mumbled something about her brother waiting for her and entered the institution. Kanda, mechanically, said "ok" or something similar, probably.

 _I'm glad that you exist._

He had heard all types of compliments. He did his best to help people and was happy to hear words of gratitude. But what Otae told him was different from anything he had ever heard. It was not really a compliment, but rather a statement about how she viewed him. A general statement, regardless, not referring to one specific thing he had done to one specific person. It was not simply a show of gratitude or appreciation.

Kanda, a child unwanted by his parents, was told by someone who knew how that felt that she was glad for his existence.

The first teardrops were scarce and unnoticeable, but they progressively became thick streams. He tried to wipe them away but it was useless. New tears emerged and his trembling hands could not take care of them. He kneeled and hid his face behind his palms, although he knew that nobody was watching him.

 _I'm glad that you exist._

Kanda was only starting to realize that those were the words he had always longed to hear.

The following months, he would find himself seeking for Otae's company and feeling somewhat bothered by how close to her Homura used to sit or stand. The old friends never stopped being amicable to each other, but they had begun to compete in everything, without understanding why.

Otae began to smile more and chat more as time flew past them. It was becoming harder for Homura and Kanda to take their eyes away from her.

Shinsuke took notice of that and started to hang out with their group more. He would not say anything, but Kanda could often feel his eyes on him.

There were not big changes in their dynamic.

But then, in Shinsuke's twelfth birthday, everything changed.

From a computer Otae had fixed, five little machines flew to each child. There was a flash and they found themselves in a laboratory. Behind them, there was a ring-shaped machine twice Tamaki's height. In front of them, there was a group of strange creatures and an adult man dressed in a kimono.

"Greetings." He said. There was a spark in his blue eyes and his jovial smile was warm. "I am Gennai, pleased to meet you."

"Who are you?" Homura inquired, stepping forward. "What is this place?"

"D-don't worry, it's going to be okay." Kanda tried to make Otae feel safe but could not hide his shaking. Otae herself did not seem to feel anything beyond curiosity. She looked around her, taking in every detail of the laboratory.

"Welcome, chosen children!" A being that resembled a pink ball with wings saluted. "I'm Piximon."

"Hello, I'm Nanomon. I'm the Science Chief of the Academy." A small robot-like creature spoke. "I'm sure you have many questions. I'll explain everything in detail, but, for now, meet your partners."

Each of the remaining five creatures went to each of the children.

"Hello, Otae! I'm Lunamon!" A small monster with a feminine voice who resembled a pink and purple rabbit with two pairs of ears and who walked in two limbs introduced herself.

"I'm Strabimon, I look forward to our battles together." Another monster introduced himself to Homura. He was as tall as her and resembled a wolf-man who wore pants, gloves on his claw-like hands and a scarf on his neck.

"Nice to meet you, Shinsuke. I'm Dorumon." Said a creature that would look like a dinosaur if it was not for his purple fur and long cottony tail.

"I hope we get along well, Tamaki. I'm Bakumon!" In front of Tamaki was hovering a monster with an odd helmet on her head and a cloud where her lower limbs should be.

"And I am Kokuwamon!" Said a being that Kanda thought looked like an insect or a robot, and he could not decide which described him better.

"We… were abducted by aliens…" Tamaki whispered, astonished.

"They're not aliens, they're digimon." Nanomon clarified. "They're going to be your partners in the battle against the Sanctuary."

"Sanctuary? Digimon?" Shinsuke was trying to understand.

"You want us to fight?" Otae questioned, raising an eyebrow but not her voice.

"Not immediately. First, we'll supervise your training." Piximon explained. "We'll keep you here until you activate your crests and make your partners reach perfect level. Then, it should be safe for you to go out there and-"

"What does that mean? I didn't understand anything you said!" Tamaki was getting exasperated.

"You'll understand everything very soon." Nanomon assured them. He told the children about a noble angel digimon called Seraphimon, who wished to bring peace to the world. But Seraphimon had been murdered by a vile female digimon, who became the world's ruler and torn down its ancient laws. Their only hope was to bring humans to make digimon rapidly evolve to levels that would normally take centuries for them to achieve. Kanda did not understand most of the explanation at first. Nor did he understand immediately why each of them received a pendent with a rock inside.

What Kanda knew was that, after Nanomon's exposition and Piximon's insistence that the Digital World would be doomed if the children did not fight against the Sanctuary, his friends agreed to the task.

Although still overwhelmed, Kanda did not hesitate on staying by their side. He still needed to sort out his motivation to save the world. But there was a more urgent reason for him to fight. His friends were going to do that and he would do everything for them.

And so Kanda did.

* * *

After their first victory, on a misty morning when Star Town had been taken by the Academy, the children did not feel like celebrating. They had spent nearly a month in the main base, training and getting to know their partners, and they had imagined their moment of triumph as something more heroic. Instead, they had to fight not only the Mayor but also the majority of the town's population. Five perfect level digimon were more than enough for the task, but the trail of destruction and death was unlike anything those children had imagined.

A small troop led by Piximon took charge of the place and the fairy digimon told the children to head to the next location. The pink digimon reminded them that they had done a great thing by freeing that town, but the survivors that opposed the Academy did not share that idea. As the children left Star Town, they heard angry shouts coming from all directions.

"Murderers!"

"Barbarians!"

"Invaders!"

Their partners did not seem badly affected by those reactions. On the contrary, they stated to be proud of their success. Those five digimon had been raised for the sake of defeating the evil Sanctuary and could not be more satisfied.

The afternoon had come and their supply backpacks felt heavy. In the Academy, before they had left for their first mission, they had changed into boots, black pants and green jackets that were designed to make them feel comfortable in any weather. Otae usually did not care a lot about clothes, but she did not like how the ones they were wearing resembled military uniforms. At least her brother had kept the red goggles she had given him one year before.

They found a sunflower field on the way and Shinsuke insisted that they stopped there. Otae knew that those were her brother's favorite flowers and asked the others if they could rest in that place for a few minutes. Everybody agreed, although it was more because they were not in a hurry to reach the next town. They sat in a circle, among the flowers.

"You didn't have to attack the civilians." Tamaki muttered, looking at Bakumon, who was floating by his side.

"It was their fault for not surrendering." Strabimon stated.

"We were fighting for their sake and they couldn't acknowledge that." Kokuwamon added.

"Whoever sides with the Sanctuary is an enemy of the world." Bakumon said.

"But was it necessary to kill them?" Tamaki insisted, shaking lightly. "You were stronger! Couldn't you spare them?"

"We had the responsibility to free that town." Homura murmured. "For the sake of those who were oppressed!"

"They didn't seem oppressed to me." Tamaki remarked.

"Indeed, they weren't!" A feminine voice came from above them. They looked up and saw a female angel hovering a couple of meters from the ground. She landed one meter in their right.

"I am Angewomon, an emissary from the Sanctuary." She introduced herself.

The digimon positioned themselves between the perfect level angel and the humans.

"You won't lay a finger on our partners!" Lunamon affirmed.

Otae saw her brother, Homura and Kanda placing themselves in front of her. She did not like that, but said nothing.

"I'm here to talk, not to fight." Angewomon clarified. "Mother, I mean, the Queen wants to help you to go back to your world."

"She wants us to run away?" Homura spoke with sarcasm.

"Don't be like that, Homura-chan; let's listen to what she has to say." Tamaki tried to be reasonable.

"I agree with Tamaki-san." Kanda said.

"That angel is obviously trying to fool us! Tell them, Otae-san!" Homura turned to the other girl. Otae felt nervous to suddenly be on the center of attention. She did not know what was the right thing to do. The fact was that they had been brought to that world by the Academy and that organization was the only sure way they had to return home. If they did not comply, would they be trapped there forever or worse? Otae had noticed the fanaticism of the digimon from the Academy and how their partners talked about the Sanctuary. If she said the wrong thing, would those five digimon consider them traitors and attack them? Would Angewomon alone be enough to protect the children from those five? That hypothesis was unlikely.

Otae knew that the safest option was to agree with Homura and appease their partners. However, she could not bring herself to say anything. One of her greatest flaws was that she was not able to pretend to believe in something she considered wrong. Being kidnapped and forced to fight for the sake of monsters she did not know was not what she wanted. Even if their survival depended on it.

"What does the Queen gain by helping her enemies?" Shinsuke asked. "Wouldn't it be simpler to attack us by surprise and kill us before our partners could react?"

"Don't give her ideas!" Dorumon was shocked by what the boy had suggested.

"That's not how I fight, I'm not a coward." Angewomon took offense. "Besides, I don't like the idea of killing manipulated children."

"Who are you calling manipulated?" Homura snapped.

"The Academy has fed you lies!" Angewomon stated. "Mother brought peace and prosperity to this world; she's not the villain they want you to believe she is!"

"Nobody ever thinks they're the villain." Shinsuke commented. "Didn't the Queen kill her own brother?"

"She took the life of the digimon she loved the most to save the world from a bloody tyrant." Angewomon explained. "She did the ultimate sacrifice for the greater good! I won't tolerate anyone who disrespects her!"

"Who would trade a sibling for the sake of the world? Shouldn't it be the other way around?" Shinsuke's tone was becoming colder. Otae supposed that it should be a shock for the others to see that side of him for the first time. Shinsuke usually knew how to keep his cool, but that one subject was delicate for him.

"It seems that you're still not ready to face the truth." Angewomon sighed, taking flight. "The longer you keep your eyes closed, the worse it will be for you later."

Angewomon and other perfect level digimon from the Sanctuary assisted on the defense of the next three towns. They also kept on trying to talk the children out of fighting. The chosen children barely managed to win those fights. Otae could tell that the reason for that was the enemies' mercy. But she could not point that out to the others. The digimon were irritated that they hadn't been able to kill as many Sanctuary followers as they wished. Tamaki and Homura were getting into more heated arguments, while Kanda tried to mediate between them. The atmosphere of that group that had once been so pleasant was now becoming suffocating. She wished she could run away.

 _"_ _Nee-chan, are you going somewhere?"_

She could not do that. She could not be selfish anymore. Not after what she had done to Shinsuke. That boy had always been by her side and had always been sweet to her. Instead of paying him back, because of her he was in that place. Because of her, his innocence had been ruined and a shadow lurked behind his once kind eyes.

During a night when they were camping in a forest, Otae had volunteered to stay on guard. Lunamon had stayed awake for a while, but not for long. The girl was glad when she heard the small creature snore. Otae went to sit in front of a large tree nearby.

"Aren't you tired, Nee-chan?" Shinsuke asked, getting up. He had been pretending to sleep. The boy walked slowly in her direction and sat by her side "I can switch with you."

There he was, putting her needs before his again. Every time he did that, Otae felt her heart being squeezed. But, once again, she did not tell him how she felt. She was afraid to say the wrong thing and upset him.

"I like to be the only one awake. It's easier to think when there's silence." She told him.

"If you want me to leave you alone, you can just say it." Shinsuke murmured.

"It's not like that." She cursed herself mentally.

"Don't worry about it." He showed her a large smile. "I know that you don't actually want me to leave."

"You wouldn't leave me alone no matter what." Otae whispered, looking down.

It was still fresh in her mind the night when she tried to run away for the first time, in Shimane. It would have worked if she had not felt the need to sneak into her brother's bedroom to leave him a note. She knew he had light sleep. She knew she should not do it, but she could not just leave without letting him know how grateful she was for having met him. She could not risk making him believe that she was abandoning him the same way their mother had done. Otae did not want to part ways with her brother, the only person in the world who was precious to her. But, despite loving Shinsuke immensely, she was not selfless enough to stay in the same house with his horrid father. The girl had not written a word about the man, though. He was good to Shinsuke and her brother loved him. An unwanted child who did not belong in that family, who was not entitled to any better treatment and still behaved badly, did not have the right to upset that beloved boy.

Shinsuke woke up that night and caught her leaving the note next to his pillow. He gazed at her with those big shiny eyes and asked if she was going somewhere. Otae should not have told him anything, but how could she refuse to do so? She had planned to let out the minimum possible, but once he had pulled her to an embrace, the words flowed without control. And so did her tears.

 _"_ _Wait until tomorrow, Nee-chan."_ His voice had never been so serious. _"I'll go with you. And you'll never see that man again."_

If only she had not gone into his bedroom… if only she had not confessed everything to him…

Then, she would not have to go to the grocery store the next day. She would not have found Shinsuke waiting for her, alone in the kitchen, wearing different clothes from the ones he had used to go hunting with his father in the morning.

He was there, waiting with their backpacks ready. His hands were trembling. He tried to smile but could not. His eyes were red. Shinsuke wanted to leave immediately and would not give any straight answer regarding his father.

" _He went to the bar. Let's go before he comes back."_ He had a pleading tone.

Shinsuke was so nervous that he had not stopped to think that, if what he said was true, Otae would have seen the man on her way home. She went to the bathroom. There, she found her brother's morning clothes in the basket.

They had red stains on them.

When everything became clear, she felt like digging a deep hole and burying herself in it. What had she done? What had she led her brother to do? It had been for her. He had done that for her. She knew it. Yet, she could not say anything to him. She took him by the hand and they fled that house. She never again asked about his father.

Shinsuke was still kind to her, but he would never be the same person again.

In that forest, under the starry sky, Otae still tried to search for the light in his eyes. And once again she could not find it.

"I worry a lot about you, Nee-chan." Shinsuke said, looking down. "I just want you to be happy and safe. But it's hard to read you… I have no idea if what I'm doing is enough. I wish you could tell me how you feel. I wish I could do more for you."

 _I wish you had never done anything for me at all_ , Otae thought, getting up and walking away.

"If it's going to satisfy you, you can switch with me." She said in low voice, hoping that their conversation had ended.

Suddenly, Shinsuke shouted. Otae turned around and saw a male angel holding her brother from behind and pointing a golden blade to his neck.

"SHINSUKE-CHII!" She yelled. The others woke up. They stood up quickly and faced the angel.

"W-What's the meaning of this?!" Kanda inquired.

"Are you friends with Angewomon?" Homura questioned.

The ground trembled as they felt someone land behind them. Otae turned around for less than a minute and saw a woman covered in armor. She had five pairs of wings, a helmet that covered her eyes, a spear in one hand and a shield in the other. Her presence alone seemed to be able to instill silence and reverence from all living things.

Their digimon partners, who usually jumped into battle without thinking twice, trembled in front of that woman.

"Stop this nonsense, Angemon!" She commanded.

"I must do this, Mother!" He stated, pressing the blade against Shinsuke's throat.

"LEAVE MY BROTHER ALONE!" Otae ordered. Her eyes were getting filled with water and she could feel her knees getting weak.

"I-I'ts going to be okay, Nee-chan…" Shinsuke said, failing to hide his panic.

 _It's going to be okay._

That was something he had always told her. Shinsuke had said that when their mother left, when they had run away from Shimane, when they had been taken to the orphanage… in the end, things seemed to have turned out fine.

Shinsuke was usually right and Otae should believe him when he said that things would be okay. They were both resourceful and intelligent in their own ways. Otae was good at solving problems. They helped and supported each other and things worked out. Was that not right?

But while Shinsuke had always been the one to see good things in the future, Otae was the one to focus on the things that could have been better and the bad things that could come. Her "what ifs" were not hopeful like his, but filled with dreadful feelings. It was not different in that moment. The boy was trying to be strong for her while Otae was already imagining the blade cutting through his skin.

"Can't you guys do anything?" Tamaki asked their partners.

"They can't attack without putting Shinsuke-kun in danger!" Kanda pointed out.

"There has to be a way!" Homura seemed to be scolding herself. "Think! Think! What can we do?"

The Queen pointed her spear in Angemon's direction. Her hand was shaking.

"I can kill you in less than a second. Don't force me to do that. Release that child!" She ordered him.

"You have no resolve, Mother." Angemon accused. "You pity these murderers who conspire against you the same way you pitied the Academy! And look at what your mercy has cost us!"

"I don't want a war, Angemon!" The Queen said. "We can still solve this peacefully. These children are being used by the Academy!"

"I love you, Mother. But your naivety is infuriating!" Angemon shouted.

"I'll seriously kill you if you-" The Mother began.

"No, you won't!" Angemon contested. "Not while you think that I could be him! Not while you drown yourself in guilt over him! Not while you remain as the head of the Sanctuary! You're nothing like the stories I heard about you! A coward who throws her name away isn't going to do anything! Maybe that's what you need! Remember who you were! Take your name back!"

"DROP THE BLADE, ANGEMON!" She roared.

Angemon showed her a smile that lacked joy.

"This is for your own good, _Ofanimon_." He said as he cut Shinsuke's throat open and let him fall to the ground.

As the boy hit the hard surface, his goggles fell off his head, landing a few centimeters away.

The things that came next would remain as confused memories in Otae's mind.

She knew that she had screamed and that her knees had given in to her weight. She knew that she had crawled to where her brother was bleeding and that she had seen the look he had on his face. His eyes were full of fear and begged for help but she could not do anything. Her hands could not stop his blood from flowing profusely, nor could they keep his data from breaking apart into infinite particles.

Their whole life together flashed before her eyes. What had she ever done for him? She had not been a good sister or a good person at all. She had never let Shinsuke know how important he was to her. All the unsaid things and gestures would now belong to her "what ifs" scenarios. She had lost the most precious person in her world.

Otae did not notice when Ofanimon lowered her head and apologized or when Kokuwamon and Strabimon evolved to attack the ultimate angel. She did not see when the leader of the Sanctuary took Angemon and fled.

She did not hear Dorumon ask how he was going to evolve now.

Kanda, who had kept his eyes on Otae the whole time, glanced at their digimon partners. They did not seem heartbroken, but preoccupied. The boy thought about the times he had spent with Kokuwamon. He remembered how, during that month in the Academy's main base, the mecha-insect digimon talked about how much he cared for his world and his desire to save it from the Sanctuary.

Back then, he still had doubts about their situation, but Kanda had already accepted Kokuwamon and the other digimon as his friends. If his friends wanted to fight, he would help them the best he could. That's what he did.

But did Kokuwamon and the other four ever see the chosen children as friends?

What did Kanda and the other children mean to them?

Were they just instruments? Tools for evolution?

He looked back at Otae. Tamaki and Homura were trying to talk to her.

Would they continue to fight? For what reason?

The world?

The digimon?

Kanda did not feel like defending those anymore. What did he want, though? Shinsuke's death and Otae's despair were burned into his mind and lit in his heart a desire that he had never felt before.

The boy wanted to hurt Angemon, the Queen and everybody associated with the Sanctuary.

Was it for revenge? For justice?

Otae's sobs echoed in the night. Homura and Tamaki were crying and trembling as well. As Kanda looked at them, he felt hot tears stream down his face. He was not going to hide them. What he was feeling now would be his fuel. It would keep him going forward, until his enemies had paid. That was his reason to fight.

His reason to live.

Was it for friendship, perhaps?

* * *

Homura knocked on the door of the room where the current chosen children were. Jyou told her to come in and she did as he said. She was happy to see that Sora was back, but was worried at her bandaged hands.

"Did Otae-san talk to you?" Koushiro asked, anxious.

"Yes." Homura said, with a sheepish smile. "She went with Kanda to the main base."

"Ah!" Mimi interjected. "That guy can't just sneak away like that! He has to apologize to us!"

"Otae-san has the crest of hope, right?" Takeru asked. "I need to talk to her so she can give it to me."

"Takeru-kun, you'll need to be very careful in how to talk to her." Sora said.

"That's right, you can't just go to her and say 'give me your brother's crest,' you know?" Jyou added.

"Of course I wouldn't ask like that." Takeru was a little offended.

"Anyway, we need to go to that main base." Mimi decided.

"We're already heading that way." Homura informed.

"You were expecting for us to want to go there?" Sora inquired.

"No." Homura denied. "It's something I've decided after what happened today. And Otae-san agreed with me. That place…" She hesitated, as bad memories rose. "That's the place where the original chosen children arrived through a portal… and the place where…" Homura closed her eyes for a moment. "It was where their clones were created."

Sora glanced down, recalling the conversation she had heard between Homura and Kanda the night before.

"So, why are you taking us there?" Takeru questioned.

"The portal that brought us to this world is still there, somewhere. It's probably the same one that brought you here." Homura said.

The children and their digimon exchanged perplexed looks.

"You don't mean…?" Motimon started.

"Is Kanda going to allow this?" Patamon asked.

"We can't!" Takeru interjected. "We still-"

"Leave Kanda-kun and the problems of this world to us!" Homura gave an order. Her authoritative tone contrasted to a large smile she was now showing. "You kids are going home!"

 **Special thanks to QwertysHuman, my fantastic beta, for helping me and inspiring me with elements of the Digital World's backstory.**


	23. No Hell below us

**Chapter 23: No Hell below us**

The Academy had lost contact with the four remaining chosen children by the time the Sanctuary's attacks became fiercer. Then, one day, the children and four giant ultimate level digimon were witnessed heading to the place that used to be the Cloud Continent. A space distortion caused by the black sphere of entrapped souls had made the barrier between the Digital World and the Human World thin and full of cracks in that point. Nanomon had instructed Gennai to send messengers to where the children were. Those messengers never returned, but the children did.

They were not carrying their digivices and would not give a straight answer to what had happened to them or how they had unlocked their partners' ultimate evolution to holy beasts. Nanomon had created those devices to only need to be unlocked once per evolution, afterwards the digimon could take energy from the humans whenever they wanted. To create a controlled environment that would allow the children to form bonds with their partners and make them evolve until perfect level was the main goal of keeping them in the base for so long. Once those levels had been reached, the digimon would be in control of the situation.

But the digivices had disappeared and the children unlocked ultimate level without them. Plus, their partners stayed in those forms. It was obvious that someone knowledgeable had assisted the children. Someone who made sure to remain unnamed.

When the children arrived at the main base, they told Nanomon that the Queen had been pushed into another dimension along with the sphere, which made the gate to their world close. The first thing the children had asked was to go back to their world. Nanomon could not allow that before he found a way to make sure that their digimon would stay as ultimates, so he convinced those kids to fight a little longer for the stability of the Digital World. They were tired but their resentment kept them going. That and the fact that only Nanomon knew how to send them home.

They returned after the fire of Aurora Town. At that point, those children spent most of their time with blank expressions on their faces or crying. The four holy beasts, who wanted to continue to protect the world from the few members of the Sanctuary that were still alive, were authorized to leave the humans in the main base and do what they wished. Meanwhile, Nanomon had come to the conclusion that, if he cloned the chosen children, if their power for evolution was ever required again the Academy would have it. However, he had to figure out how to replicate the minds of the chosen children.

He came to the conclusion that a complete scan of the children's brains was necessary. But it was not likely that their bodies could survive that procedure. Nanomon did not tell them anything and simply ordered the cook to mix sleep medicine in their dinner one night. Gennai took the children to the laboratory and initiated the procedure. It was almost finished when Kanda woke up suddenly, looked around and screamed. The boy was quickly sedated and, a few minutes later, died, like the others.

Gennai was instructed to take Kanda's clone to a secluded place in the lowest level of the main base, where he would be kept in observation. When the other clones woke up, Nanomon told them that the experiment had been a success and that the real chosen children had returned to their world, safely. They did not seem convinced and inquired where Kanda was. Nanomon told them that his clone was not completely ready yet.

The day of the victory banquet had arrived. The chosen children refused to leave their rooms. Nanomon and Gennai had not taken part in the festivities because they were working on a program that could ensure the complete obedience of the clones. At one point, Gennai pointed to a monitor, scared. The digimon participating on the banquet were spilling black smoke from their mouths and dying.

"What is happening?!" Nanomon questioned.

"It seems that they don't like my special spice." A voice that Nanomon had never heard before came from his right. A Wizarmon was leaning against the wall, close to a table where there were micro dimension jumpers.

"HOW DID THAT WIZARMON ENTER THIS PLACE?!" Gennai shouted, reaching for the gun he kept in a drawer. Wizarmon made a movement with his staff and paralyzed both of them, who fell with their faces on the floor.

"You became presumptuous." Wizarmon told them. "You thought you had already won and your defenses were not as tight as before. With my powers, it was easier than expected."

"You're… a soldier from the Sanctuary!" Nanomon sneered.

"I'm a Priest." Wizarmon said, calmly. "At least I used to be one. Now, I have to figure out what I'll be."

"You're going to kill us now?" Gennai sounded scared.

"No." Wizarmon denied. "My new ally will."

The mage digimon made another movement with his staff and Kanda appeared in front of Nanomon and Gennai. The clone was no longer held by chains and was holding a heavy two palms long metal bar in his right hand.

Kanda approached the two who were lying on the floor, side by side, and crouched in front of them. The humanoid's red eyes were cold and piercing.

"K-Kanda." Gennai stuttered. "You're not really going to kill us, right? You understand why we've done everything, right?"

"Of course I do." Kanda put a smile on his face. "I understand it perfectly. You wanted to protect the Digital World."

"That's right!" Gennai sounded relieved. "I knew that you would be reasonable! Of course sweet little Kanda would-"

In a fast movement, Kanda lifted the metal bar and swung it down, striking Gennai's head. Blood stirred up and stained the clone's clothes and face. The symbol of his crest became hidden by the red liquid.

Kanda kept on hitting Gennai, repeatedly.

"IT WAS SUCH A NOBLE MISSION, WASN'T IT?!" He shouted. "EVERY SACRIFICE WAS NECESSARY FOR THE SAKE OF THE DIGITAL WORLD, RIGHT?! WHO WOULD EVEN CARE ABOUT CHILDREN LIKE US? WE WERE NOTHING TO YOU! WE WERE JUST THINGS TO BE USED, RIGHT?!"

Gennai's body broke in particles of data. Kanda turned his attention to Nanomon. That was the moment when the robot monster paid attention to the tear streams coming out of the other's face.

"Do you have anything to say to me?" Kanda asked.

"Nothing that could make you spare me." Nanomon replied.

"Have you ever felt any remorse for what you did to us?" Kanda inquired.

"Remorse for what?" Nanomon was puzzled. "I gave a meaning to the pathetic lives of five humans. Ofanimon is gone; the holy beasts will be the protectors of the world now; the Academy-"

"The Academy is dying as we speak!" Kanda interjected.

"Nothing more than a fraction of it!" Nanomon corrected. "As long as there are digimon who keep our cause in their hearts, the Academy will never perish!"

Nanomon noticed a strange glow in Kanda's eyes. Was he going to give up? His rebellion would only make all the remaining members of the Academy his enemies. And for what? What would he gain with those foolish murders? What fleeting satisfaction could justify a stupid act like that?

Kanda raised the bar once again. Nanomon knew that he was doomed. In his final moments, the digimon wanted to think on his most beloved one: his master, who were to rule the world, and had his noble mission interrupted by a vile woman. Would he ever meet Seraphimon again? Would the angel once again fill his heart with hope? The time Nanomon had spent devoting his whole being to Seraphimon had been the most fulfilling period of his life. He sought justice for his master and punishment to the traitors who had not acknowledged his greatness, or so he thought. In the end, maybe he just wanted to be reunited with Seraphimon.

However, as if by a miracle, the laboratory's door was opened and Otae stepped inside. That made Kanda deviate his attention and broke Wizarmon's concentration, which liberated Nanomon from his spell for enough time to allow the robot to retrieve a micro dimension jumper from the table and teleport himself away.

Those objects resembled watches and had the inconvenience of being unable to program a destination, which meant that whoever used one would be taken to a random place. Their advantage was that they could not allow anyone to track them.

Nanomon found himself under a giant fulgurite in a stormy desert. His time on the run had begun but he swore that he would one day return to the Academy.

* * *

Nanomon woke up but kept his eyes closed. He heard a voice that he had not heard for a long time.

"You're the Headmaster now." Otae's voice was low and somber. "The new Gennai, huh? You've even brought your own chosen children to this place."

"It was necessary." Kanda's voice was also low.

"For the sake of the Digital World?" There was irony in her tone.

"For the sake of wiping the Sanctuary from the Digital World." His tone became darker.

"You really are loyal to the Academy now." She muttered.

"The Academy will go down in flames as soon as I'm finished with the Sanctuary." Kanda promised.

"Why? Don't you control the Academy?" Otae sounded confused.

"Because it has utility for me. But once the Dark Masters, Ladydevimon, Vamdemon and all other Sanctuary agents are eradicated, the Academy won't have a reason to exist anymore. Nor will I."

"We can't die, Kanda." Otae's voice was full of sadness. "No matter what we do."

"We'll see about that." He smirked. Then, in a more serious tone, he asked: "Say… why did you return that ring to me?"

"I didn't appreciate that you tried to track me down." She murmured.

"I meant the first time…" Kanda hesitated. "After I had killed Gennai and you stormed away… when I found you programming that transportation circle while Homura-san was calling you a coward for abandoning us and Tamaki-san was begging you to stay… I called you. Instead of turning around or saying anything back to me, you took that ring off and placed on the floor, right before jumping into the pod and vanishing. Why did you take the ring off?"

"It had become too heavy." She whispered.

Nanomon did not understand what the female clone meant by that. Suddenly, he heard steps approaching his cage, which was soon removed from the wall. He heard the sound of a door being opened and assumed they were already in the main base. Nanomon resisted the urge to open his eyes and once again admire the structure he had designed himself. He had to control himself, for the sake of the plan.

But then he heard her voice.

"Gennai-sama, there was something important I had to tell you, let me look for it in my notepad."

Nanomon opened his eyes and saw a digimon he had believed to be dead, leafing through a notepad.

"Bastemon!" He shouted, startling the cat monster. "I thought you had been found out by the Sanctuary! Why didn't you contact me? Why didn't you leave File Island immediately after that woman's demise?"

Bastemon looked at him with confusion.

"Were you someone I knew?" She asked.

"You don't remember me?" Nanomon was astonished. "How…? Don't tell me…" His horror was increasing rapidly, but soon was replaced by anger and disappointment. There was only one explanation for Bastemon's forgetfulness. "I told you not to get into contact with the mirror no matter what! I told you to just make sure that _she_ would touch it! You couldn't follow that simple order, could you? Moron! You touched the mirror and then you let it be shattered, didn't you?!"

"Mirror…? Shattered…?" Bastemon mumbled, scared, taking one of her claw-like hands to her head. An expression of pain took over her face. Nanomon's cage was lifted to be on level with Kanda's eyes. The male clone slid his right hand between two bars and grabbed Nanomon, hitting his head against the cage's wall and making him lose consciousness.

* * *

Otae followed Kanda into his office. The man left Nanomon's cage next to the bookshelf and opened a drawer on his desk. He picked a pair of gloves with wires on them and put them on. Then, he went to the bookshelf, picked a book and opened it. With a movement from his left hand, a small mirror levitated from a compartment among the pages. Kanda made other movements but nothing else happened.

"He removed Tailmon's link to the mirror!" He yelled, throwing the book and the mirror on the floor. "It's empty!"

After that, Kanda went to his desk and turned on the monitor on it. His agitated breath and increasingly enraged face were nothing the woman had not seen before. Regardless of it, it was still a heartbreaking vision.

After Shinsuke's death, her friend had become very focused on destroying the Sanctuary. Homura was like that too but Otae knew that the older girl was moved primarily by her sense of duty. Kanda, on the other hand, had never showed the same level of devotion to the cause. Otae could not think of any other motivation for him than to avenge Shinsuke. Because her brother and Kanda had never been close, she could only link his friend's motivation to her own sake. But, even in his darkest hours, she could still see the old Kanda when she looked deeply into his eyes. She became sure that her friend still existed when she woke up a certain night and found him praying, a little distant from the group. If she closed her eyes, she could still listen to his sobs and see his slender shaking figure.

 _"_ _S-Spirit of the World, if you really exist, p-please, save my friends."_ His voice was breaking. _"P-Please, take them home. I c-can't bear to see them suffering anymore. Please… I'm b-begging you… save my friends. I can't see them like this anymore, especially Tae… you can leave me behind. Leave me behind to punish those evil monsters, but save my friends."_

Otae knew that the Spirit of the World was simply a story. She thought that Kanda understood that too.

The imaginary deity never answered to his calls. However, a digimon called Wisemon did. He took them to his carriage that was bigger on the inside and made an offer they could not refuse.

 _"_ _I can help you to make your partners reach ultimate level and become invincible. I can do that in a way that they won't ever retreat to their previous forms and won't have to take energy from you anymore. And all that for a small price: your digivices."_

Those machines were precisely what had made the children their partners' hostages. Without them, they would not be walking batteries anymore. Once their digimon became the holy beasts, they would be able to defeat the Queen and bring the children one step closer to their home.

 _"_ _I'll tell you how to defeat the Sanctuary."_ Wisemon had said. _"You'll head to a place where there's a massive space distortion. You'll see your world through it but you must not attempt to cross to the Human World, otherwise your bodies will be broken apart."_

 _"_ _Can't you take us home?"_ Tamaki had asked.

 _"_ _My carriage is capable of doing that but a punk stole it in a different universe and I only got it back recently. I haven't made it work properly ever since."_ Wisemon had explained. _"Your best shot at going home still lies with the Academy."_

What if they had still tried to cross to their world back then? It was right in their reach. It could be their only chance. Would they have died if they did it? But they all died anyway and were turned into something else. Then, would it not have been better to die while trying to escape? Those questions still haunted her as she observed her friend losing all composure in front of the monitor.

"Not only he took her away, he also took… damn it! GODDAMN IT!" Kanda shouted, punching the table.

"Why is that Tailmon so important?" Otae asked, approaching the man. "What were you planning to do with her?"

Kanda looked up to her, slowly. His eyes were colder than ever.

"That's none of your business."

Otae gasped. Kanda had never talked to her that way.

"Surprised?" He asked, turning his body to her direction. "Were you expecting me to just tell you whatever you wanted to know? Maybe with a dumb smile on my face?"

 _He's angry at me_ , Otae thought. That was good… it was so good! He had taken forever to be angry at her but it was worth the wait. Now Kanda could acknowledge that everything had been her fault and be freed from his misery. He should blame her, loathe her, curse her. Otae had brought them to the Digital World and destroyed them. Like her mother had told her so many times, ruining people's lives was why she existed.

"I deserve your hatred." Otae assured him.

"Shut up!" Kanda shouted. "I don't want to talk about what you deserve!"

Otae took a step back.

"What do you want to talk about, then?" She asked. "You can be honest. Tell me how much you hate me. Tell me that you despise me!"

"You would like to hear that, right?" He questioned in a serious tone. "You always acted as if you were hurt whenever people showed care for you. I spent so much energy trying to figure out what to do to make you happy… you're telling me that all I had to do was to treat you like trash?"

"I don't want you to do that for my sake." She said. "You really feel that way about me, right? Just let your anger out!"

In Kanda's face there was no longer any sign of wrath. Instead, he had a heartbroken expression that was unbearable for her to look at.

"For all these years, I was never angry at you." Kanda spoke. "I always tried to understand what you were feeling… I wanted the best for you. I never shouted at you before today… but it was Homura-san who you forgave so easily. Was it because she was crying? Or because you haven't seen her murdering someone with her own hands? She does that kind of thing now, you know?"

 _Why is he bringing Homura up?_ Otae wondered. _Is he trying to change the subject?_

"This isn't about her." Otae affirmed. "Why can't you just admit that you resent me?"

"I don't know what I feel about you anymore." Kanda muttered, looking down. "I thought I would understand my feelings if I saw you again but I don't… I have no idea what is going through my heart anymore…"

"It's okay if you haven't come to terms with it yet." She murmured. "I'll wait until you're ready to tell me. But it saddens me to see you in this state."

"Seeing you looking like a hobo doesn't make me happy either." He commented, with an almost unnoticeable smile.

"That was an unnecessarily rude comment." She smirked, lightly. A warm feeling sprout in her heart.

The materialization of a sliding door on the left wall of the office grabbed their attention. Tamaki slid it open and marched in Kanda's direction. The sight of Otae paralyzed him.

"Tamaki-chii." She said, looking at the blonde.

"How many times have I told you not to directly come into my office unless there's an emergency, Tamaki-san?" Kanda turned to him as well.

From Tamaki's eyes, large tears came down in a burst.

"OTAE-CHAN!" He cried, going around the desk, grabbing her by the waist and twirling with her in his arms. "IT'S YOU! IT'S REALLY YOU! I WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU!" He pulled her to a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry-" Otae said.

"Don't apologize!" He complained. "There's nothing you've done that I haven't forgiven already."

"Still an easy-forgiver…" Otae whispered, smiling.

"I can't help it, can I? That's just how my personality is wired!" He said, putting her down and taking a long look at her face.

Kanda looked away.

"What brings you here, Tamaki-san?" The Headmaster asked.

"Something awful happened to Xuanwumon." Tamaki answered, showing the other two the back of the hand where his crest of purity tattoo used to be. "I heard her voice in my head, she was screaming… I think she was in agony…"

"If one of the holy beasts had perished, I would've received a report." Kanda said. His adult voice was not too different from Gennai's, which had enabled him to deceive their old partners for a very long time and make them hunt down the remaining forces of the Sanctuary. "Besides, the Dark Masters haven't been able to defeat them in thousands of years, what could have changed now?"

"Can't you get in contact with them, then? I want to know if my partner is okay." Tamaki's worried expression lit something in Kanda's spirit.

"Why do you still care about Xuanwumon?" The younger man inquired.

"She was my partner." Tamaki replied, seriously.

"You know how they saw us, don't you?" Kanda's tone became colder. "We were energy supplies to fuel their evolutions!"

"They didn't know better!" Tamaki shouted. "They had been raised to believe in that, it wasn't their fault!"

"HOW DARE YOU DEFEND THOSE MONSTERS?!" Kanda roared.

"There's no point in staying angry at them." Tamaki said. "What they did to us was awful, it's true, but if you tried to look at things from their point of view-"

"ENOUGH WITH THAT NONSENSE!" Kanda shouted, trying to grab Tamaki by his shirt. Otae, who was between the men, did not let him.

"Calm down!" She told Kanda.

"Out of my way, Otae!" Kanda ordered.

"I won't let you lay a finger on Tamaki-chii!" She said back.

"Do you agree with him, then?!" Kanda interjected. "Oh, I see! The two of you are just superior beings, right? Full of love and forgiveness for everybody!"

"Why are you shouting at him like this? This isn't you!" Otae wanted to understand what was happening to her friend. It was one thing for him to resent her, but what did Tamaki ever do to deserve that treatment?

"Otae-chan is right." Tamaki added. "The Kanda-kun I used to know-"

"YOU NEVER GOT TO KNOW ME!" Kanda roared, stomping his right foot and making the floor tremble. His entire body was shaking.

 _He's so broken…_ Otae wanted to tell Kanda something that would make him feel better but she had never been good in consoling others. It was hard for her to sort her own problems out. However, her refusal in facing their emotional struggles had never done any good to them, on the contrary. Otae had to break that cycle. She had to be brave and make an effort. She opened her mouth, unsure of what she was going to say.

What left her lips, however, was a scream. Like the one she had just heard in Qinglongmon's voice.

Otae almost fell but Kanda and Tamaki rushed to support her at the same time.

"Tae, what is it? Are you in pain?"Kanda's expression was completely different from the one he had moments before. His eyebrows were furrowed and his eyes shone lightly. It was almost as if she had gone back in time, like she had wished for so long.

But she had learned that the past could not be rewritten.

"Your tattoo has vanished as well." Kanda said, gently holding her hand.

"She's gone." Otae muttered, looking down. She did not think she could be sad over her former partner. But her heart felt heavier, anyway.

"What's going on?" Kanda wondered in loud voice, getting away from Otae and approaching the monitor on his desk.

Another sliding door appeared on the wall opposite to where he was. Homura opened it and stepped into the office. She was followed by all of the chosen children and their partners.

"We can't go back home yet!" Takeru was protesting.

"That's right!" Jyou agreed. "What about Vamdemon's army?"

"I can't accept that you guys decide our future by yourselves!" Mimi complained. "You don't even want to listen to what we have to say!"

"Quiet, all of you!" Homura shouted. "You guys are going home whether you like it or not!"

"What is this now?" Kanda inquired, massaging his temples.

"Hasn't Otae-san told you?" Homura asked. "We've decided that the children have to go back to their world."

"It's great to hear that!" Tamaki exclaimed, happy. Then, he turned to Otae. "Did you make her change her mind?"

"Actually, the one who did that was Kido Jyou-kun." Homura clarified.

"Jyou-san did it?!" Takeru inquired.

"I did not!" Jyou defended himself. "I clearly remember not doing that?"

"How can you remember not doing something?" Koushiro wondered.

"The idea didn't come from him but I was inspired by his words." Homura explained.

"I still don't see how you took what I said and came to the conclusion that we should go home!" Jyou reiterated.

Homura was going to keep arguing but she suddenly felt a terrible headache and heard Baihumon scream in pain. She fell to her knees, shouting.

"HOMURA-CHII!" Otae called her. She intended to go to the woman's aid but she was not well enough to walk by herself. Tamaki kept supporting her.

"Are you okay?" Sora asked, concerned, while approaching Homura.

"Her tattoo is gone!" Piyokomon pointed out.

"Now Baihumon died too?!" Otae had a horrified tone of voice.

"Died too?" Homura murmured, looking up to the other woman.

"We don't know for sure if they're dead!" Tamaki wanted to hold to any hope he could find.

"I can't contact Zhuqiaomon!" Kanda said, meddling with his desk monitor. "Why can't I turn on this thing?!"

"Kukukuku." A laugh came from behind him. Kanda turned around and saw Nanomon laughing inside the cage. The man made a movement with his hands and his anti-gravitational gloves made the object levitate over the table.

"What's so funny?" The Headmaster inquired.

"Is it Nanomon in that pet cage?" Mimi wondered.

"We can't see because the opening is turned to Kanda." Tanemon said.

"Kanda-san's gloves are capable of moving objects without having to touch them." Koushiro said with wonder.

"Don't fawn over the guy who sent you away without telling us anything." Jyou reprehended him.

"You all are hilarious!" Nanomon stated. "You haven't figured out what I did yet!"

"What did you do?" Sora asked, moving to Kanda's side with Piyokomon on her arms. When she saw the severe damage the small robot monster had suffered, she glanced at her predecessor.

"Sora, don't get close to this guy." Kanda told her.

"So that's the kid who was in the orb?" Otae asked, slowing letting go of Tamaki. "The one my substitute was desperate to save?"

"Red eyes." Nanomon smirked, looking from Sora to Kanda. _I wonder how similar she is to Kanda, for him to have chosen her._

Kanda frowned. _Why does he look surprised?_ The former bearer of love wondered. _Nanomon was the one who chose these new children, wasn't he? Who else would have put their data in the Academy's computer?_

"Answer my question, Nanomon." Sora insisted.

"I created the Academy." Nanomon replied. "I have in my brain a special program that allows me to take control of this base. I can only do it from inside the building, though."

"Liar!" Kanda accused. "If that was true, you would've taken control of it when you came here to steal the crest of love!"

"Hahaha." Nanomon laughed. "You really did believe me when I said that I had sneaked in and taken your crest? Seriously? With the crazy surveillance you keep in this place nowadays? I wouldn't be able to do it even if I had magical powers!"

"You didn't…?" Kanda was getting sickly pale.

"You are so much dumber that I had given you credit for." Nanomon mocked. "Someone inside the Academy stole the crest of love and gave it to me. This same someone sabotaged the orb's container and has now fled with his kitty friend. And you never saw it coming."

"Impossible!" Kanda shouted. "Wizarmon would never work with you! He always hated the Academy!"

"That's true. He did say that he was a Priest from the Sanctuary." Nanomon confirmed.

"He wouldn't work for the Sanctuary either! If they were to know about Tailmon…" Kanda's face was filled with cold sweat. "He cares for her, I'm sure of it! He wouldn't tell them about her!"

"You're right about that." Nanomon confirmed. "Whatever you did to that Tailmon, Wizarmon refused to tell me. His end of the deal was for me to give him a way to escape from this world with her. In exchange, he helped me to return to the main base."

"Do you think I'll let you take charge of this place?!" Kanda raised his voice. "I can kill you with my bare hands before you do anything!"

"Your stupidity never ceases to amaze me." Nanomon smirked. "I've already redirected the control of the base to someone else. Even if you killed me, you won't get it back!"

Suddenly, the sliding doors connected to the bases of Tamaki and Homura vanished from the walls. Fearing the worst, Tamaki rushed to the office's door and tried to open it. It was locked.

"We're trapped!" He shouted.

"There's someone controlling this base remotely?" Koushiro was astonished.

"T-That's not possible…" Kanda murmured. "Nanomon doesn't have allies!" He shouted, staring at the robot digimon. "You don't have allies!"

"I couldn't let you keep on tarnishing my Academy." Nanomon told him. "I'd rather see this building crumble than to let you stay as the Headmaster any longer. You forced me to make a deal with the devil but it was worth it!"

"Deal with the devil?" Kanda asked.

"I believe you know the saying." Nanomon smiled. "The enemy of my enemy…"

Suddenly, the monitor was turned on by itself. The digimon at the other side was not one Kanda wanted to see.

"Greetings, chosen children. I am Vamdemon, the new Master of the Academy." A monster that looked like a vampire spoke through the monitor.

"VAMDEMON?!" Takeru ran to Sora's side, so he could take a look at the monitor as well.

"That digimon who wanted to invade our world?" Mimi was afraid.

"The one who was assembling an army?!" Jyou gasped.

"I'm going to be very objective here, Mr. Headmaster." Vamdemon told Kanda. "I have an army of over one hundred thousand adult and perfect level digimon ready to be teleported to the main base. If you surrender now and come with the new chosen children to my castle-"

"Let me talk to him!" Someone said by Vamdemon's side, pushing the vampire away. A clown digimon took his place in the monitor, under protests of the other male monster. "I haven't seen your face since I was Jokermon. You must feel like an idiot for refusing our offers back then."

"Piedmon." Kanda recognized him.

"The strongest Dark Master…" Homura commented, getting up.

"What are you planning to do to my friends?!" Sora inquired.

"Your predecessors have taught us that you human beings don't deserve mercy." Piedmon told the girl. "You have two options: stay in the base and wait for Vamdemon's army to kill you in any twisted way they wish, or come to the castle to die quickly."

"I won't let you touch on a single hair of these children!" Homura shouted, across the table.

"We'll protect them!" Otae promised, glancing at Koushiro. "We won't let you kill them!"

"Who said anything about us doing the killing?" Piedmon asked. "It'd be more appropriate for you to kill them."

"Y-you…" Tamaki, who was still close to the door, was shaking from head to toe. "You c-can't force us to do that!"

"Yes, they can." Nanomon confirmed. "During my exile, I developed a way to control you, clones. After you're immobilized, they can reprogram you and force you to do anything they want, forever."

Heavy silence fell on the office. The original chosen children looked at each other in horror. The new children and their partners were trying to find a way out of that situation.

"It should be okay if each of you kills your corresponded child." Piedmon said. "Oh, but there are five new children! Then, the former child of knowledge should kill her successor and the new bearer of hope. That'd be just, wouldn't it?"

Otae felt her knees getting weak and put her left hand on the bookshelf to sustain her weight. Her sight was getting blurred by tears. She glanced at the blond little child next to Sora, wondering if he was the new holder of the crest of hope. She remembered how her brother's throat was cut open and he bled to death. Would she be the one holding the blade this time? Would she kill both Koushiro and that kid, and then serve Shinsuke's murderers for the rest of her existence?

 _"_ _S-Spirit of the World, if you really exist, p-please, save my friends."_

But the Spirit of the World did not exist. If it was real, it would not allow that cruelty to unfold. It would not have allowed any of the horrible things that had happened to her friends and brother. A fair god, like that Spirit was described, would not allow those things to happen. But, what if Fate did exist? What if it wished for all those disgraces? What if it wanted their story to end that way?

Could it be that the Spirit of the World was an evil god who enjoyed watching their misery? Was that almighty being laughing at them right now, like it must have laughed when Shinsuke was murdered in front of his powerless sister?

Was that simply how the world was?

"You will die in agony, Piedmon." Kanda promised, staring at the monitor.

"No, I won't. Zhuqiaomon on the other hand…" Piedmon said, lifting his right hand and showing a dark orb. "You shouldn't have let your digivices lying around for anyone to pick up. Nor should you have let your _merchants_ unprotected."

"Wisemon?" Tamaki murmured.

"He was captured?" Homura spoke in a pained tone of voice.

"Any last words for you partner, bearer of love?" Piedmon asked, with a large smile on his lips.

"Go to Hell!" Kanda shouted, lifting his right hand. Guessing what he was going to do, Sora crouched, shielding Takeru and Piyokomon. Kanda punched the monitor, making some of its pieces fly around. They did not harm anyone. Right after that, the man screamed in pain and fell to his knees next to Sora. His tattoo disappeared.

"This used to be my office, connected to my laboratory." Nanomon said, glancing at the bookshelf. "I don't sense any surveillance equipment here. We should be able to talk freely without anyone listening to us."

"How can we escape?" Takeru questioned, letting go of Sora's protective embrace. Nanomon ignored him.

"Those options are awful, aren't they?" Nanomon continued to talk to Kanda. "Luckily, there's a third one. You know what to do to assure a peaceful end for everybody."

Kanda looked up to him.

"You know what I keep in the lowest level." The man said. "Wizarmon told you about the crack."

"Crack?!" Otae was astonished. "You have isolated a crack in the space-time continuum here?!"

"Like those ones generated by the Cloud Continent's-" Tamaki was thinking aloud.

"Aren't they dangerous?!" Homura shouted. "Wisemon told us that they could break our bodies if we tried to enter one to return to our world!"

"It can do so much more than that." Kanda told the others. "If I break the container of that crack, it will destroy everything in this dimension where the main base is hidden. Not even we could survive that."

"Not you and not Vamdemon's army." Nanomon added. "It's a shame to destroy the work of my life but it's for a good cause. The followers of the Academy are scattered around the world. They'll organize themselves, rise and defeat what remains of the Sanctuary!"

"What?" Kanda chuckled, startling everybody. "Oh, my… Wizarmon didn't tell you the most important thing, did he? The cheeky bastard fooled everybody!"

"What are you talking about?" Nanomon asked.

"Why should I tell you when I can show you?" Kanda replied, pressing the floor under the desk, which opened and revealed a red button.

"Can someone explain what is going on here?!" Mimi felt like crying.

"I think they have a plan to kill us all and Vamdemon's army before we're captured." Koushiro explained.

"That's an awful plan!" Mimi cried.

"Mimi-chan, calm down, please!" Sora spoke to her with a gentle and reassuring tone of voice, while standing up. "None of us is going to die! I won't let that happen!"

"That's right!" Patamon, who had stayed with the other children instead of following Takeru when the boy had gone to the other side of the desk, said.

"We'll fight until the end to protect you." Tanemon promised Mimi.

"I'm sure there's something else we can do." Pukamon added.

"Of course! I won't accept any plan that involves us dying!" Jyou stated.

"You children are so full of hope." Kanda had a melancholic voice. "I thought I could make everything work out… I gave you new digivices that take your feelings and wills into consideration to allow evolutions, I chose the partners who were the most compatible in personality with you and I let you form bonds with them on your own terms. I honestly believed that you could defeat my enemies and then go home… instead I doomed you all… like I doomed my friends… because of my stupidity… my arrogance… I could never apologize enough…"

"Don't talk as if we don't have other option but to die!" Takeru reprehended Kanda. "I don't believe in that! We can overcome anything! I know we can work our way through this too! As long as we don't give up, we'll find a way!"

Otae felt something warm over her chest and looked down. The crest of hope was glowing; the pendant that was holding it floated from the woman's jersey. Its glass began to crack and Otae held it forcefully, not willing to let the crest leave it. Takeru noticed what was going on and saw that there was a yellow glow coming from his digivice.

"I don't know if it's worth anything but…" Kanda muttered, pressing the red button. "I'm sorry."

The humans and the digimon were thrown against the ceiling. The office had disconnected from its previous location and was now falling freely. Loud metallic sounds came from above, in a consistent space of time. After several minutes that felt like centuries to the children, Kanda used his gloves to rip the ceiling open. Everybody was forcefully expelled to the outside, but the man used his gloves to slow them down and make them float. Nanomon, still trapped in his cage, was not saved by Kanda, ultimately falling behind the structure.

"W-W-W-h-wha-w…" Jyou was still unable to speak.

"We fell 567 floors; we're now approaching the lowest level of the main base, which cannot be controlled from the outside." Kanda explained, slowly lowering everybody down. The sound of metal crashing and glass cracking was heard bellow them. "In an emergency, I created a mechanical system that would allow me to get there while sealing the openings in the above levels."

"Why did you create this system?" Otae wondered.

"In case of an invasion, I could go to where the crack is contained and destroy the Academy." Kanda answered. "Only Wizarmon and I knew about this."

"It seems that Nanomon knew as well." Homura commented.

They reached the floor. Automatic lights were turned on as soon as they landed. The ceiling around the hole through which they had entered was low. The metallic walls resembled those of a bunker. There was a transparent sphere of the size of a head floating at their left; inside it, there was something that looked like a luminous scar in the air, through which it was possible to see something moving. The floor was covered by rubble.

"Is that the crack they were talking about?" Koushiro wondered, approaching the floating sphere.

"Koushiro-san, you don't seem very shaken… considering that we just survived a free fall like that." Takeru commented. His legs were trembling so much that he had to sit down.

"It wasn't as bad as last time." Koushiro murmured, examining the sphere. "Is it Tokyo over there?"

"Tokyo?" Sora asked, getting close to him and the crack.

"I can see buildings, cars, placards…" Koushiro listed, pointing at the moving scenes from beyond the scar in the space-time continuum.

"Does that mean that we can go home through that?" Mimi asked.

"None of us fit in there, though." Motimon said. He looked around and noticed small pieces of glass over the floor. The small monster touched one of them and was paralyzed.

"Motimon?" Piyokomon asked, jumping in his direction. Motimon released the piece of glass and stumbled backwards.

"I… I was in a battle… there was a Seadramon!" Tentomon panted. "I was someone else…"

Sora and Koushiro exchanged glances.

"Are they like the mirror from the underground temple?" Sora asked. "So many broken pieces…"

"The mirror that registered memories?" Jyou was perplexed as he walked ahead. By accident, he stepped on one of Nanomon's cylindrical arms, making the robot shout.

Small data particles were breaking from Nanomon's body. The monster could barely lift his head to see the sea of broken glass around him.

"Can you do something for him, Jyou-san?" Mimi asked, getting close to Jyou and Nanomon.

"I'm afraid it's too late." Jyou murmured.

"T-those mirrors…" Nanomon stuttered. "T-They were in my old l-lab. A-All those m-mirrors… don't tell me…"

"It took me a really long time until I managed to make every member of the Academy touch a mirror at some point." Kanda slowly walked to where Nanomon was lying down. "These inventions are so convenient. Not only I could have access to anyone's memories and watch through their eyes at moments, I also could shape their memories anyway I wanted."

"Every member…?" Nanomon's voice was filled with horror.

"It seems that there's no one left on the world who keeps the Academy's cause in the heart." Kanda had a grin on his face. "Your institution has perished, Nanomon."

"I don't understand…" Sora said.

"If the mirror you've touched is shattered, you lose all of your personal memories and become unable to form new ones." Otae explained, behind Sora and Koushiro.

"But then, that piece of mirror Koushiro-han touched-" Motimon was getting alarmed.

"You're not affected if you touch a broken piece and said piece is shattered again." Otae calmed the monster down.

"That's good to hear." Motimon sighed in relief.

"That boy would only be in trouble if the piece of mirror became an entire mirror again, but that's not likely to happen." Otae smirked.

Motimon seemed to stay calm. Koushiro, on the other hand, remembered a comment Kanda had made when he heard about what had happened in the underground temple.

 _"_ _You threw the broken mirror in a lake that fixes everything?!"_

 _Should I worry about that?_ Koushiro asked himself. _No… there are more urgent things to worry about right now._

"Tell me it's really you…" Nanomon's cry caught everybody's attention.

"Who is he talking to?" Sora wondered aloud.

"He must have lost his mind." Homura said, ten steps away from the girl.

"I know you can hear me." Nanomon continued. "If it's really you, tell me! Tell me you've returned to complete your holy mission… tell me you came back to save the world… I've done everything for you… I lived for you… just give me hope one last time… tell me it's you… my beloved… Master! P-Please… tell me it's you… you've come back… to me…"

Nanomon's body broke apart into hundreds of small particles that floated to the hole in the ceiling.

Takeru still resented Nanomon for what had happened to Sora. Nevertheless, a couple of tears formed in his eyes. Death was a hard thing to witness, even if it was the death of someone he should hate. The boy could hear Mimi's sobs not too far away. He glanced at Patamon, sitting by his side. The small mammal digimon was trembling and looking down. Takeru could not see his face.

"Are you okay, Patamon?" Takeru asked. Patamon replied after half a minute.

"I am."

"What do we do now?" Tamaki questioned.

"I bought us some time but we're still cornered." Kanda said, turning to the sphere where the crack was. "There are no portals or dimension jumpers here. And I don't want to imagine what kind of atrocities the invading army will do to these children."

"But we could stabilize the fissure, right?" Koushiro suggested. "Everything in the Digital World is made of data. If I use my computer, there's a chance I could turn the crack into a sustainable portal for enough time for us to cross to our world."

"You can't do that!" Kanda forbade him. "I've adjusted the container to liberate the crack in a way that will make this dimension crumble on itself in a matter of seconds. If you mess with it, the result could be long excruciating deaths to us all!"

"Why are you acting as if the plan where we all die for sure is better than the plan where we at least have a chance to live? Are you stupid?" Mimi was getting mad.

"What are the chances of success?" Homura asked Otae.

"Uhmm…" Otae took a few seconds to think. "I'd say 10% of success. 90% of potentially excruciating death."

"10%?!" Koushiro felt discouraged.

"Hey, Koushiro-kun." Sora called him. "Do you remember that game when Taichi was suspended and I got late because of the traffic? When I arrived, you told me that it was nearly impossible to turn the game around. It was too many goals in too little time, remember?"

"We didn't win that game!" Koushiro protested.

"But we tied! Which was still amazing considering how badly we were losing before." Sora smiled.

"That was only possible because you were playing, Sora-san! Because you're exceptional!" Koushiro stated.

"And so are you, Koushiro-kun!" Sora affirmed. "You are extraordinary! I believe you can make this plan work."

"I…" Koushiro did not know how to reply.

"You know, Koushiro-kun?" Mimi addressed him. "Back in school, you liked to talk about so many things that I found strange. You were unlike everybody I knew."

"That's…" Koushiro frowned.

"I'm trying to say that nobody is comparable to you when it comes to intelligence. If you can't pull this off, nobody can!" Mimi finished with a smile.

"Y-you're exaggerating!" The red-haired boy stuttered. "B-Besides, Otae-san-"

"I wouldn't even try my chances against 90% of failure." Otae interrupted him.

"If it was me, I would have a panic attack for sure." Tamaki confessed.

"I don't have the knowledge to do something like that, so I won't opinionate." Homura said, blushing.

"Koushiro-kun is someone who can study for a test in the night before and still be the best student. It's a given that he can pull this off." Jyou stated.

"Don't compare a test to a life and death scenario, Jyou." Pukamon sighed.

"But it's going to take me hours to analyze the data and I don't see any other computer here!" Koushiro was still unsure.

"We can buy you as much time as you need." Takeru assured, getting up. "If the invaders come, we'll fight. Right, Patamon?"

"Yes." Patamon confirmed.

Otae paled when she realized that the partner of the new bearer of hope was a Patamon. However, she was not shocked. Kanda did say that the partners had been chosen to fit the children's personalities. During the centuries she had spent by herself, Otae thought a lot about Shinsuke and about that Angemon, who was willing to do something condemnable for someone he loved. Otae had never confronted Shinsuke about what he had done to his father, but she knew he had done it for her. The same way she knew about the things her friends had done for her. She was not entitled to judge them. All she could do was to try to understand. Those new children certainly had darkness in their hearts, but, in that moment, all she could see was splendid light irradiating from them. Maybe that light would be enough to make even an Angemon into someone better.

She grabbed the pendant over her jersey. The crest of hope had never felt lighter.

"Listen, Koushiro-kun." Sora spoke again. "We know that you can do it. But we won't be angry at you if things don't go as planned. We know you'll do your best."

"That's right, don't pressure yourself too much, Koushiro-han!" Motimon added.

Koushiro took a deep breath, allowing those words of encouragement to sink in. He felt that he could start crying at any moment but was able to keep his composure. Everybody was putting their trust in him. He had to show them that he was worth of that trust, even if he was still beginning to learn to think like that.

"I'll do everything to take us home." He stated. Sora, Mimi, Jyou, Takeru and everybody's partners cheered.

The first generation of chosen children observed them in silence.

"You kids…" Kanda whispered, astonished. How could they keep moving forward, believing in the best outcome when confronted by that situation? He did not know children could be so formidable. They had gone through hardships and, instead of breaking down, they emerged from them stronger than before.

That group of kids could really have saved the world.

"They're thinking that we're going with them." Tamaki had approached Kanda without the younger man noticing it. Homura and Otae did the same.

"We have to tell them." Homura affirmed.

"I don't want to make them sad." Otae murmured.

"It's not like we can keep this from them forever." Tamaki said.

"We're going to tell them, but not all at the same time." Kanda told them. "We shouldn't create a commotion and taint the good atmosphere they created."

The old group distanced themselves from the children, going to the right wall of the place.

"I was going to make spaghetti tonight." Tamaki said. "Meat balls… tomato sauce… it was going to be a feast."

"I was going to train with my katana." Homura told them. "Maybe check the situation on Aurora Town… that was during the morning, when I didn't think all this shit would happen."

Kanda and Tamaki muffled laughs.

"Did you just cuss, Homura-san?" Kanda asked. "I can't believe I have lived enough to hear this!"

"What's so fucking shocking about cussing?" Otae inquired, earning shocked stares from her friends.

"Since when do you…?" Tamaki began.

"I've been alone for too long." Otae replied. "I don't remember when I started talking like this but it feels good."

"The Otae I knew didn't have a filthy mouth like that." Kanda pouted. "That's it, I'm totally over you. We're just friends now."

"It was never going to happen, Kanda-chii." Otae smirked. Kanda stared at her with tear brimmed eyes.

"D-Did I hurt your feelings?" Otae got nervous. "I just never saw you that way."

"You did nothing wrong." Kanda smiled. He admired her for a couple of seconds before adding: "Thank you, _Tae_."

"Just to be sure, they're really just friends now, right?" Homura whispered in Tamaki's ear.

"Yeah, Homura-chan." He confirmed. "You'd better make your move before we all…"

Somber silence enveloped the four friends.

"It's funny that this has to happen for us to talk normally to each other again." Tamaki let a tear drop fall from his right eye.

"There's nothing funny about this. It's just a testament to how pathetic we all are." Homura said.

"You guys are really going easy at me." Kanda muttered. "We're here now because of me. You should hate me."

"I understand how you feel." Otae told him. "That's a messed up wish… isn't it? I'm starting to see it now…"

"How can you not hate me?" Kanda insisted.

"It's called forgiving and letting go. Yeah, I know, what a mind-blowing concept!" Tamaki taunted.

"There's nothing we could tell you that you don't know already." Homura whispered. "It's pointless to keep negative feelings this close to the end."

"I'm glad I can be with you all." Otae let them know. "I wish I had come meet you sooner… and spent more time with you… but I was afraid…"

"Did any of us ever stopped being afraid?" Tamaki wondered.

"I don't remember not being afraid." Kanda said. "Ever."

"We've done terrible things." Homura murmured.

"There's no point in thinking about them now." Otae stated.

"Yep. Instead of focusing on the wrongs, let's do something right." Tamaki added.

"I agree." Kanda said.

The four friends looked at the five children and their partners. Koushiro was working on the computer and the others were around him.

The adults knew that they had done unforgiveable things. It was not possible to correct the mistakes they had done during their lives.

All they had left was to help those kids. That would be the final battle of the original chosen children.

Then, they would rest.

 **Next chapter will be the conclusion of the second arc.**


	24. Above us, only Sky

"W-who are you?! Where am I?!" Bastemon cried, crawling backwards on the ground of the temple below Infinity Mountain. She was cornered by Angemon, who pointed his spear menacingly at her. His wings were broken.

The tree in the middle of the lake shone a golden light on them. Close by, Ofanimon's statue seemed to watch over the two creatures. A few steps away from Bastemon, at the feet of the statue, there was a broken hand mirror. Only one small piece of glass remained in it.

"What kind of game are you trying to play with me?!" Angemon inquired. "Backstabber! For how long have you pretended to serve Mother?!"

"I swear I don't know what you're talking about!" Bastemon's wailed desperately.

"I HEARD YOU TRYING TO CONTACT SOMEONE AT THE ACADEMY!" Angemon blasted Bastemon a couple meters away with a reach attack. "WHAT WERE YOU PLANNING TO DO WITH THAT MIRROR? WHY WERE YOU HORRIFIED WHEN I MADE YOU TOUCH IT?"

"M-mirror?" Bastemon gasped. Her scared expression was replaced by a confused one. "W-who are you?! Where am I?!"

"ENOUGH WITH THIS!" Angemon was ready to attack again, but a voice coming from his left stopped me.

"What's the point of punishing someone who doesn't know why she's being punished?" The voice asked.

"Angewomon?" Angemon inquired. "Wait… there's something different…"

"I had never noticed before how that helmet was uncomfortable." The woman said, approaching him. She glanced down at her reflection on the lake, seeing for the first time how her appearance had changed. Her once delicate gloved hands were replaced by ones that resembled claws, with one hand bigger than the other. From one of her shoulders, there was a creature that looked like a ghost; it never talked, which made her believe that it was nothing more than a split of her own soul. She had chains around her body, black shredded wings and was mostly covered in jet black cloth. Her red eyes were visible; they were striking different from the blue ones she once possessed.

She had had blue eyes when she was a lost Plotmon. With them, she saw that angel, the kindest creature who had ever lived. Her eyes were covered when she was separated from that angel. In her defeat, the weight of the helmet she was once so proud of was unbearable. Did she think she could ever be like _her_? Her Mother was strong, wise and just. And her Mother was still damned by the world she had tried to protect for so long.

If even that formidable being could be defeated, what was there left for a weak thing like her to do? What was the point of doing anything? Any strength she ever believed she possessed had clearly been an illusion. She was helpless and with no hope. Was that what it meant to fall from grace?

"What are we going to do now?" Angemon's voice had no shred of ferocity. Instead, he was expecting an answer that could give him a direction. She looked at him, trying to find her rage. Had Angemon not been the culprit for everything bad that had happened? Was he not probably the digimon who had caused her Mother terrible pain in his previous life? He had been banished, what was he even doing there? She should throw him out! She should curse him! She should break him into little pieces!

But she did not feel like doing any of that.

Ladydevimon merely watched that pathetic creature who she knew despised her, and yet he was hoping that she had something to tell him that would appease the wounds in his soul. She walked in the direction of the Bastemon and grabbed the cat woman with both her hands, opening her wings next.

"Answer me!" Angemon shouted.

"There's nothing to do anymore." She said, setting flight. "We lost."

Angemon could not follow her. Ladydevimon exited the place through a circular opening on the transparent ceiling which was made of the water from Asclepius fountain, arranged to be in a state between fluid and crystallized. She landed on the grass outside and let go of Bastemon.

"A-are you my ally?" The cat woman asked. "I can't remember anything… anything at all… I don't know who I am…"

"If you don't get out of my sight in two seconds, I'll be your murderer." Ladydevimon threatened. Bastemon ran as fast as she could.

 _I could use a long-reach attack and exterminate that creature in a second_. Ladydevimon thought. But that felt so pointless. So what if she killed that creature? So what if she decided to punish Angemon? What difference would any of that make? Her Mother would still be gone.

She looked back at the ceiling of the underground temple, beneath her. It looked like a lake made of hardened water, with a circular hole in its center. Like every peculiar occurrence in the Digital World, there were legends that attempted to explain Asclepius fountain. Her favorite one, told by her Mother, was that in the beginning of the Digital World, the Great Spirit cried endlessly because of solitude, because it missed a beloved someone or because it had lost something precious. The precise reason for its tears was unknown.

The tears formed a lake capable of healing everything. The Great Spirit hoped that the lake could restore what it missed. However, that was not possible. Not even a medicine that cures every injury was capable of erasing that kind of pain.

Pain could never disappear. But if there was love, there would be no pain that could last for too long.

Now that Ladydevimon thought about it, that story made no sense at all. Love was precisely the source of her pain.

Something cold touched her skin. She looked up and saw sparse snowflakes falling. That had never happened on that island before.

"Mother?" She asked, staring at the dark sky. "Is this you? Are you watching me now?"

There was no reply. Ladydevimon did not need one. She knew that the weather around the mountain was influenced by her Mother's feelings. _She's still here._ _Maybe not with her body… but she's still with me._

"I'll bring you home, Mother." She vowed. "I'll open a door to you."

 **Chapter 24: Above us, only Sky**

The satisfaction of smashing that orb lasted less than she had expected. Ladydevimon excused herself and flew out of a window of Vamdemon's room. She landed on the conical roof and stayed there for an uncertain amount of time. In front of her, there was an ocean of pine trees. There was a forest full of life so close to a place where an army prepared an invasion. Cold wind woke her from her stupor. She decided to check on the Dark Master she had known the longest and performed a communication spell. A circle appeared in mid-air; at its other side, Pinocchimon greeted her.

"Nee-chan! Good to see you!"

"I've met Piedmon. Congratulations for capturing the holy beasts." She said, formally.

"That was awesome, wasn't it?" Pinocchimon had a proud grin.

"Where are you right now?" She wondered in loud voice, noticing a shelf filled with books and strange objects behind him.

"Guard duty." Pinocchimon did not sound happy. "Mugendramon is at the Academy base of the west now, trying to figure out what happened there."

"What do you mean?" She inquired.

"When we arrived at that base, the enemies didn't resist us at all." Pinocchimon reported. "They didn't know who we were… or who _they_ were! It was the creepiest thing I had ever seen!"

"Did all of them just lose their memories?" Ladydevimon was perplexed.

"I can't imagine who could have done something like that. We don't have the means for that kind of attack. Do we have secret allies, perhaps?" The other mused.

She frowned, remembering an encounter with an amnesiac Bastemon. _She was a spy from the Academy but something went wrong with her plan. Wait, I'm not considering that the Academy erased the memories of its own soldiers, am I? Although… if it's those chosen children who control the place now…_

The chosen children had every reason to want revenge against the Academy. But, if that was the case, why would they not ally themselves with the Sanctuary? No. That was a stupid question. Nobody in the Sanctuary would accept those creatures after what they had done. The chosen children took control over the Academy and, instead of crushing it, they used it to keep on fighting the Sanctuary. Did they want to exterminate both organizations? Why could they not simply leave the Digital World? Why go through all that trouble just for revenge?

She glanced at the hand she had used to crush the dark orb. It had felt good when she did it. But it was a fleeting sensation, quickly substituted by emptiness in her heart. Emptiness she had grown too familiar to her likeness.

"Inform me if anything new happens." Ladydevimon muttered, making the communication circle disappear.

 _We're doing the right thing, aren't we?_ She wondered, gazing up to the night sky. _For the sake of the plan… for the innocents who have perished… for Mother… I know what we have to do. I know…_

She felt the urge to go to the door behind which her Mother was. She had done that many times after finding a way to reach the woman. Despite not being able to bring her from the other side. Not yet.

"The older sister has to stay and watch over them, right?" Ladydevimon's question was almost inaudible. "At least you're watching over me. You are, aren't you? Keep watching over me, Mother. And I'm sorry for my weakness."

* * *

"The teleportation pods are sealed and can only be opened remotely by Vamdemon-sama. We can advance in search of the chosen children knowing that they can't escape this base." Blossomon informed Fangmon.

"Good." The monster that resembled a red wolf with sharp teeth and claws said. "Most of our troops are already covering the paths that lead to the deepest floor, where we believe the enemies are hiding."

"Wouldn't it be faster to go through the tunnel where the Headmaster's office used to be?" The digimon that looked like a giant purple flower with countless vines as roots growing from her body asked.

" _He_ insists on taking that route without the rest of us." Fangmon complained, staring at the leader of the army in his front. Skullsatamon had been engaged in combat with Bastemon for nearly an hour. He had ordered the other monsters to continue with the mission and to allow him to fight the cat woman by himself.

"At least it seems that his pointless one on one fight has come to an end." Blossomon said, noticing that particles of data were leaving Bastemon's body. The cat monster was still able to stay on her two feet, but was visibly worn out. Gasping for air while covered in bruises and cuts, she had a proud smile.

"You fought with honor, soldier." Skullsatamon praised her, sustaining his weight on his red staff that had a yellow orb at one extremity and a sickle at the other. The digimon had a skeleton like body and a pair of bat wings on his back. "It's rare to find a digimon with so much courage. You remind me of someone I used to know."

"Soldier…" Bastemon let a single tear escape her right eye. "That's who I am… I won't forget it anymore…"

She died standing up.

"Look at the deplorable state you are in." Blossomon commented, approaching Skullsatamon and taking a look at his wounds. "We had numerical advantage. We could've crushed that cat without the need of-"

"No matter how vicious the enemy is, I refuse to fight like a coward." Skullsatamon interrupted.

"I hope you don't intend to fight the chosen children by yourself with your body like that." Fangmon said.

"Did the technicians take care of the vertical tunnel?" The leader inquired.

"They were not able to open the sealed passages in the hundreds of floors separating us from the lowest one." Fangmon informed. "They were able, however, to narrow the passage. Digimon with large bodies won't be able to fight in that tunnel."

"Does that mean that I have to stay behind?" Blossomon questioned.

"I'd feel safer if you watched over the teleportation pods, even if they've been reprogrammed. I don't want to risk any chosen child escaping." Skullsatamon said. "I'm the only one who needs to go down there through that path. My body is small and agile and I can fly."

"My body is smaller and a lot faster than yours." Fangmon told him. The wolf monster stuck his claws into the metallic floor and wrenched a piece of it out. "And I have no need for wings."

Skullsatamon frowned.

"You're a murderous beast, Fangmon." The leader stated. "Concepts like honor and mercy are foreign to you."

"Why else do you think Vamdemon-sama paired me with you, Mr. Noble Demon?" Fangmon taunted.

"The chosen children know no honor." Blossomon affirmed. "They don't deserve any kind of mercy. I approve on letting Fangmon go with you."

"Alright, then." Skullsatamon agreed. "But if I decide Fangmon has gone too far, I'll stop him immediately."

"It's typical of perfect levels to underestimate adult level digimon." Fangmon smirked.

* * *

The sudden narrowing of the tunnel alarmed the chosen children. But not as much as the explosions that began sounding above them in the distance.

"They must be coming through the office tunnel." Takeru theorized, standing up. He had stayed seated with the others around Koushiro until that moment.

"But Kanda-san had sealed the floors, right?" Jyou had a fearful voice.

"They're destroying the seals. And they're doing it fast." Sora remarked, paying attention to the space of time between the explosions, while standing up. "It won't take long for them to get here."

"Damn it!" Koushiro suddenly interjected, making the other kids look at him. "I made a mistake! I'll have to redo this part! Damn it! Damn it!"

"Be patient, Koushiro-han." Motimon told him.

"I have to work faster!" Koushiro seemed to be talking to himself. "There's not much left! I need to do this faster! I can't waste time!"

"Koushiro-san!" Takeru raised his voice, which made Koushiro look at him. The blond child continued: "We've told you already that we would buy you time. Just focus on your work and leave the rest to us."

"Sorry." Koushiro murmured, looking down.

"If any enemy comes our way, Zudomon can send them running!" Pukamon was confident.

"The ceiling is too low; Zudomon wouldn't be able to move here." Jyou remarked. "The size of your perfect form is very inconvenient in this situation."

"Don't kill my fighting spirit, Jyou." Pukamon complained.

"Birdramon and Kabuterimon can't maneuver with ease in that tunnel, if they can still fit there at all." Sora had a concerned voice. "They would be an easy target to the enemies."

"There's no way Garudamon can fit in that space." Piyokomon added.

"Neither can Atlurkabuterimon." Motimon said.

"They must've narrowed the tunnel to keep our major offensive forces outside." Sora theorized.

"I bet the digimon coming down are small and can fly." Jyou suggested.

"Hey, didn't Nanomon say that my ultimate form was a cute angel?" Pukamon suddenly remembered. "If it's cute, it has to be small, right?"

"I remember him saying that was a possibility." Jyou recalled. "Wait! You can't mean that you want to reach your ultimate form now!"

"Why not? It's possible, isn't it?" Pukamon asked, turning to the first chosen children, who were at the other side of the room. "YO! KANDA! I CAN REACH ULTIMATE LEVEL, RIGHT?"

The original chosen children began to walk in their direction. When Kanda was a couple of meters away from the new kids, he said:

"The way I projected your digivices, you all can reach ultimate level. It depends on your emotional state and how it influences the crest."

"Hah! Then Jyou needs to be honest for me to reach that level!" Pukamon exclaimed, turning to his partner. "Tell me everything about you, Jyou!"

"I don't think that's how you're going to activate the crest." Homura gave her opinion.

"I… I…" Jyou tried to think on something important to tell his partner. "My birthday is on September 1st!"

"Jyou-san is a Virgo! I knew it!" Mimi laughed.

"Hey, Mimi." Tanemon called her, close to her partner's feet. The girl glanced down and noticed the somber look on the plant monster.

"I know." The ten-year-old said. "Lilymon will be the only one able to fight."

"I understand that you don't like violence." Tanemon muttered.

"I don't want my friends to get hurt." Mimi had a decisive tone. "Please, protect them. And take care of yourself."

"I will." Tanemon promised.

"Lilymon is not the only one who can fight." Takeru approached Mimi, with Patamon by his side.

"Takeru-kun…" Sora said, walking in the little boy's direction.

"Please, Sora-san." Takeru looked into her eyes with intensity. "I know that I haven't been in my best shape lately, I'm sorry for that. But please trust Angemon and me with this. We can fight! We can protect you all!"

"I'm sorry, Takeru-kun." Sora told him. Takeru was starting to feel tears coming to his eyes when she added: "I shouldn't have overprotected you the way I did."

That phrase surprised the other kids.

"I have my issues." The leader admitted. "I felt that I had to take care of all of you, you especially, Takeru-kun. I projected my personal problems on you. My inability to trust you to handle things blurred my sight and had dreadful consequences." She glanced at Koushiro, who was concentrating on his work.

"Sora-san…" Takeru was at a loss of words.

"You had ups and downs but you've grown a lot, Takeru-kun." Sora smiled at him. "We're counting on you."

Happy tears rolled down the little boy's face.

"Yes!" He said, smiling. "I will do my best! Patamon and I will do our best!"

"Takeru-kun." Mimi called him, showing him a serene expression. "Let's protect our friends together."

"Let's do it!" Takeru grinned.

"Blondie!" Otae called. Takeru looked at her, startled. She was holding something under her jersey. "I need to talk to you."

"O-okay." Takeru said, following the woman among the rubble, passing by Koushiro. Patamon pondered about following Takeru, but decided to stay behind.

"Mimi-chan, do you mind if we talk?" Tamaki asked. "Just the two of us."

"Oh." She glanced at Tanemon, who nodded. "Alright."

The fourth-grader girl stood up and followed the man, wondering why his eyes were red and swollen.

"Do you need an intimate talk with Jyou too?" Pukamon asked Homura.

"I… erh…" She mumbled.

"I'll be right back, Pukamon." Jyou smiled at the floating creature and went after Homura.

Sora and Kanda exchanged a silent glance. The man turned around and slowly walked away.

"Please, wait for me." She asked Piyokomon, before walking after him.

"They're going to tell them something heavy, aren't they?" Tanemon asked.

"I think it's something personal." Piyokomon theorized.

"We probably shouldn't worry about it." Pukamon tried to speak in a calm tone.

"I can hear your heartbeat from here." Motimon told his floating friend.

"We shouldn't interfere on the matters of human beings." Patamon said, sitting down.

Koushiro quickly glanced up, taking notice of what was happening. He bit his lower lip and went back to work.

* * *

Tamaki had sat down on a large and straight piece of metal that used to belong to one of the walls of Kanda's office. Mimi joined him. The man held his hands together and kept his eyes on a piece of glass that was a foot away.

"You like Astrology, then." Tamaki mustered all of his will force to imprint a joyful tone to his voice. "I used to read about Astrology when I was your age. What's your sign?"

"Leo." Mimi replied, seriously.

"Oh, that's a great sign!" His excitement came out too forcefully. "Not as great as mine, though. Taurus is objectively the best sign!"

"Tamaki-san…" Mimi's voice had a sad tone that Tamaki could not bear to listen.

"D-did you know that Scorpio and Aquarius is said to be a b-bad romantic match?" He could feel his voice starting to crack. It had become a struggle to keep the grin on his face. "Kanda-kun was mad at me when I told him that-"

"It's okay." Mimi turned her body to him and placed both her hands over his. "You can tell me what you have to. There's no need to be frightened."

"Hah…" Tamaki had a nervous laugh. His eyes became flooded with tears. "I can't believe you're the one comforting me now. I wanted to be cool… but I'm the same lame crybaby I've always been… weak, coward, silly Tamaki…"

"Don't talk about yourself that way!" Mimi reprehended him. "I can't stand it when people are mean to themselves!"

"You barely know me, Mimi-chan." Tamaki murmured.

"I know that you care for us and wanted to keep us safe!" Mimi stated. "I know that you've done bad things and regret them immensely! And that you can't stop beating yourself over them! But you're so kind-"

"I'm not kind!" Tamaki cried. His tears rolled down profusely and he tried to hide his face but Mimi did not let go of his hands. The man lifted his eyes and looked at her. She did not turn her eyes away from his.

"I'm a good for nothing." He affirmed. "I'm the most pathetic person who has ever lived… someone who never stood up… I never made myself be heard… even when I'm about to die, I'm pitied by a little girl like you…"

"You're not about to die! Koushiro-kun will save us!" Mimi corrected him.

Tamaki examined her wide open eyes. There was unshakeable faith in them and he thought that he had to be a truly despicable person to do that to a child. Regardless of how he felt, Tamaki knew that he had to say it.

"Nanomon made our bodies in a way that…" The man took a deep breath. "We can't cross to the human world. We've tried before, after becoming like this… no portal will ever allow us to go home."

Mimi paled deeply after hearing that. She shook her head, trying to deny that reality.

"We lived for thousands of years, you know?" Tamaki attempted to force a smile again. "It's just natural that people die one day… really, it's nothing to be upset about…"

Mimi stood up and hugged him with all her might. The man could hear her sobs and feel the shakiness of her body. He let his hands fall by his sides, unsure about what to do.

"My friends and I are together… we are fine…" Tamaki felt his sight getting blurred again. "We've talked and laughed, you know? W-we…" His voice broke.

"It's okay, Tamaki-san." Mimi told him.

"W-why do I have to be like this?" Tamaki asked as tears busted from his eyes. "Why do I have to be such an e-embarrassment?"

"Those things that you told me in your base… I took them to the heart." Mimi said. "It's overwhelming sometimes but I really want to find that path. I really want to protect my friends from the spiral of despair… I want to protect everybody from it… even if I can't do it right now… I can't do it for you, I'm so sorry…"

"Don't be." Tamaki found the strength to lift his arms and hug her back. "Allow yourself to fail once in a while. Honestly, if you told me something super inspiring right now, I'd feel even more as a useless adult."

"Tamaki-san." Mimi whispered. "I don't remember you joking even once when we first met. But now it's like you can't stop it."

"Yeah, I'm weird like that." Tamaki sniffed.

"I'm glad that you can joke now, despite everything." Mimi told him. "It's kind of cool."

Those words brought a small smile to his lips that Tamaki did not have to force.

"Thank you, Mimi-chan."

* * *

When they were far enough from the others, Otae took the pendant from her neck and gave it to Takeru.

"That's all that's left from Shinsuke. Take care of it." She told the kid.

Takeru examined the yellow rock with a drawing of a sun rising on the horizon. He put the pendant around his own neck.

"Does this mean that you can't take care of it anymore?" He asked.

Otae leaned against a wall and looked away from him.

"I don't know you very well so it shouldn't bother me to tell you this." She spoke in low voice. "Our bodies can't get translated into the material world, which means that we can't cross over with you. We'll wait for the crack to destabilize and destroy us."

"What?!" Takeru gasped.

"Dimensions get crushed; people die… that's just how the universe is." Otae tried to sound indifferent. She looked at the boy and observed how the little child's expression of anxiety was slowly replaced by one of understanding.

"Do you think you're going to see your brother again?" Takeru asked. "Is that why you don't seem disturbed about dying?"

 _He's sharp_ , Otae thought, amused. _Shinsuke was sharp as well_.

She studied Takeru's eyes. Their blue was deeper than the blue of hers. It would be more accurate to say that Takeru's eyes were darker. Otae could still see sparks of innocence in them but they were not many. A shadow lurked in their depths, like the one that lurked in Shinsuke's eyes before the day they ran away.

"Do you have siblings?" The woman asked.

"An older brother. His name is Yamato." He replied.

"Is he a good brother?"

"He's a great brother!" Takeru's eyes lit up. "We don't spend much time together anymore, but he has always been kind to me! He loves me and wants to take care of me. He must be worried about me right now…" The boy frowned. "But I'm going to meet him soon and explain everything that happened. And I'm going to introduce him to Sora-san and the others."

"If you died, I bet that he would suffer a lot." Otae said. Takeru gave the woman a serious look and told her:

"Not long ago, Patamon evolved to Angemon and killed Devimon, the same digimon who murdered your brother."

"Really?" That information did not make her feel any different. "Do you expect me to thank your Angemon for it?"

"My Angemon died after defeating Devimon." Takeru continued, without breaking eye contact. "He became an egg right away and then he was able to remember me. Nevertheless, I suffered a lot over his loss. Right now, although we are reunited, I know that Patamon is hiding something from me… and I can feel that he's different from before."

"It must be disturbing to remember your own death." Otae commented.

"It's not that. He changed because of something else." Takeru muttered. "But I'm getting off topic."

"What was the topic?" Otae inquired.

"It was hard for me to lose Patamon, despite his death not being permanent. That makes me afraid…" He gulped. "If I were to lose someone else permanently… if Onii-chan…" A couple of tears formed on the corners of his eyes. "I don't know if I could recover from that."

"Are you afraid you could become like me?" She inquired, bitterly.

Takeru remained silent.

"I loved my brother more than anyone in the world." Otae stated. "But I know what kind of person he was. I know that if he had seen me die, he would have taken a path much worse than mine… much worse than the one any of my friends took."

The woman noticed how pale Takeru was getting by listening to her words but that did not stop Otae. She had to warn him.

"I think that if Shinsuke had lost me, he would have become something twisted." Otae concluded. "That's what you should be afraid of."

* * *

"It can't be! It's not fair!" Jyou said as hot tears washed his face. His entire body trembled.

"We'll atone for our crimes and be freed from our misery." Homura assured him, holding her hands together. "It's right for us to die this way."

"What are you talking about!? There's nothing right in that!" Jyou cried, louder. "There has to be a way to save you!"

"We don't want that, Jyou-kun." Homura felt that her words were not reaching the boy.

"How can you not want to live?! That's madness!" Jyou protested.

"You don't know how it is to live endlessly." She commented. "To feel your very humanity slipping away… to long for peace of mind that you know will never come. But the opportunity to finally rest came to us."

Jyou lifted his glasses and harshly wiped his tears away. Homura watched him with admiration. How wonderful it was to show his emotions so freely.

"Say, Jyou-kun, have you ever fallen in love?" The woman asked.

"EH?!" Jyou was so shocked by that question that he took a step back. "What are you…?! This isn't the time to talk about this!"

"It's the only time I have to talk about it." Homura grinned. Jyou stared at her, perplexed.

"I…" He began, scratching his head and blushing. "I don't think I've ever fallen in love. How would I even know?"

"You'll definitely know when it happens." Homura assured him. "You'll be euphoric and nervous, happy and scared all the time. It'll hurt, but it's a good kind of pain."

"Nothing that you're saying makes any sense to me." Jyou sighed. "I thought that romance was something that happened when two friends got so close to each other that they never wanted to be apart again."

"That's a beautiful view of romance." Homura told him.

"Homura-san…" Jyou hesitated. "Have you told the person you love-?"

"Oh, she knows." Homura interrupted. "I never kept it from her."

"How can you be sure that she knows? A girl wouldn't expect another girl to love her, would she?" Jyou asked.

"Do you think you're an expert on the feelings of women, Jyou-kun?" Homura asked, staring at him and smirking.

"I didn't mean that. Sorry if I was rude." Jyou blushed.

"It's okay." Homura took one step forward and rested her right hand on his shoulder. "You're a sweet boy. I'm proud that we got to share a crest."

"Homura-san, I found you terrifying the first time I saw you. Then, I got to know you better and felt very sorry for you." Jyou told her. "You did bad things but I think that you're genuinely a good person. So… don't be too harsh on yourself, okay?"

Her eyes got very humid.

"I'll do my best, Jyou-kun."

* * *

Sora followed Kanda to a pile of rubble close to the west wall. From up there, she could see what her friends were doing. More than twenty meters across from her, Jyou was crying while talking to Homura. From her left, in a similar distance, Mimi was hugging Tamaki. Ten meters on Sora's right, Koushiro was sitting on the floor, working on his computer, surrounded by the digimon. Around ten meters behind Koushiro, Takeru and Otae were talking.

Kanda sat on the top of the pile. The girl sat next to him but not too close. She held her knees against her chest and looked up, in the direction of the hole in the ceiling.

"I overheard you talking to Homura-san the night before we went to the pyramids." Sora said. "You told her that you could never go home."

"We can't cross over because of how Nanomon built these bodies." The man let her know.

"I also heard that the original children died." Sora continued. "And that you saw your friends dying before the same happened to you."

All she heard in response was his heavy breathing. She looked to the side and saw that he was looking at his feet.

"Now I'm going to see them die again." He said. "I had planned to destroy this place along with myself. I never wished to bring my friends death… I never wanted to hurt them…"

"Your friends would be sad if you died." Sora told him. "No matter how much you thought that you deserved to die alone, I'm sure that they would try to save you."

"Why are you being kind to me?" Kanda inquired, looking up and gazing into her eyes. "After all I've done to you and your friends, you should hate my guts."

"That would be easy." Sora smiled, sadly. "But I would like not to hate people anymore. Besides… I can't hate someone I understand."

"You… understand me?" Kanda asked, softly. There was an almost unnoticeable sparkle in his eyes.

"Didn't you expect that?" She questioned. "Why else would you open your heart to me, back in Homura-san's base?"

"I don't know why I told you all that." He replied. "Maybe I was too eager to connect with someone… I told you many unnecessary things, didn't I?"

"Adults normally don't say those things to children." Sora chuckled, dryly. "But I appreciate how honest you were… also, there was some truth to what you said."

"Truth?" Kanda raised his eyebrows.

"Good people indeed don't exist. But neither do bad people." She told him. "We can be many different things during our lives, depending on the choices we make."

The man smiled at her as his eyes shone.

"You are quite wise, did you know that?" He asked.

"I'm just beginning to learn to think that way." Sora blushed.

Kanda smirked, closing his eyes.

"You're still a kid."

"H-hey!" Sora thought he was teasing her.

"I wish I could've been a kid for longer." Kanda confessed, opening his eyes. "I wish I could see a future full of possibilities… and that I could learn from my mistakes and grow up gradually."

Sora rubbed her eyes with her right hand.

"I'm going to take my time to grow up." The girl promised. "I'll have a long childhood and adolescence and slowly figure out what kind of person I want to be."

"I think you're going to be great." Kanda said, smiling brightly.

* * *

When Koushiro finished his analysis, he found the other children already around him. They had concerned expressions and some of them had been crying.

"They're not coming with us, are they?" The redhead boy asked, while he let the program run in his computer.

"You've figured that out already?" Jyou did not sound surprised.

"Otae-san told me that they can't cross over and that because she didn't know me very well, it shouldn't bother her." Takeru informed Koushiro. The fourth grader glanced at Otae, who had reunited with the other adults.

"We have to wait for the program I developed to finish running. If everything works out as planned, the portal should open for a few minutes." Koushiro let them know, scratching his head slightly. "After it closes, there will be a chain reaction that will consume this entire dimension in a matter of seconds."

"They won't have time to feel pain, then." Sora concluded, looking down.

The atmosphere around them was heavy.

"At least Koushiro-kun finished his work before any enemy-" Jyou had begun to talk but was interrupted by a large piece of retorted metal that fell from the vertical tunnel. It was evident that it used to be one of the structures that sealed the floors above. The piece of metal dissolved quickly into data particles. Tanemon and Patamon jumped in the direction of the opening as the digivices of their partners shone.

"Tanemon evolves to Palmon! Palmon evolves to Togemon! Togemon super evolves to… LILYMON!" Mimi's partner shouted, surrounded by green light, as she flew in the direction of the enemies.

"Patamon evolves to… ANGEMON!" Takeru's partner yelled, as he followed the female digimon. When Otae saw the angel, she covered her face and would have fallen on her knees if Homura and Kanda had not caught her in time.

Fifty meters up in the tunnel, Skullsatamon was hovering and Fangmon was holding to one of the walls with his long claws.

"FINALLY!" The red wolf howled, jumping on Angemon. "TIME TO START THE PARTY!"

Angemon managed to grab the beast by the jaw and throw him at the wall. Fangmon laughed, sticking his claws into the metallic surface and stopping his fall.

"I like your smell." Fangmon had delight in his voice. "How many have you killed?"

That question made Angemon's heart skip a beat. _Don't think about that!_ The angel ordered himself. _This is not the time to think about that!_

He launched a beam with his clenched fist in Fangmon's direction but the wolf jumped before being hit. All what Angemon achieved was to create a hole in the wall. Fangmon landed over his head and whispered:

"Holding back, aren't you? Just give in to your nature already. All digimon are roaming beasts that enjoy slicing the flesh of their prey."

Fangmon bit Angemon's left shoulder, making him bleed. Angemon grabbed the wolf by one of his back legs and threw him against the wall again. Fangmon kept on his strategy of using his claws to hold to the wall and attacking Angemon in great speed.

Meanwhile, Lilymon used her flower cannon against Skullsatamon, who was able to dodge the attacks. When he used long-reach attacks, she used her blasts to deflect them. The female digimon could have dodged them with ease but she was concerned about Angemon, who was fighting below her. Skullsatamon decided to attack directly and flew in her direction. He was about to pin her against the wall when Lilymon kicked his chin and sent him upwards.

As her foot made contact, Lilymon had a vision. She was fighting Skullsatamon in a sunlit field. He was laughing.

 _"I almost caught you off guard now, Banchou!"_ The male digimon told her in the vision, slowly returning to the ground.

 _"Heh, you're thousands of years too early to defeat me, Bones-chan."_ Lilymon was surprised at how confident her own voice sounded.

The vision ended and she found herself back in the vertical tunnel. Skullsatamon was hovering above her with an expression of shock.

"Did you… see that too?" He inquired.

 _It was a trick. He entered in my mind somehow!_ Lilymon told herself. She conjured a large flower collar to trap the other. Skullsatamon used his staff to cut the collar in two points. The fairy held each of the two parts in each hand and was about to swing them like ropes. In the fraction of a second, she had another vision. Instead of flower ropes, she was holding yoyos in her hands.

"What are you doing to me?!" Lilymon questioned, trying to reach him with the ropes. Skullsatamon grabbed them and pulled her closer.

"There are digimon like me, who were born remembering who they used to be in a previous life." He told her. "I've heard stories about digimon who begin to regain their memories when they fight someone they had encountered in a past life. To think you would fall on the second category…"

"What's this madness you're spitting?!" Lilymon raised her voice.

"When you kicked me, you had a vision of us sparring, right?" Skullsatamon asked. "We did that many times. I followed you to every battle as you tried to free the world from the Tyrant!"

"You're trying to confuse me! You want me to drop my guard so that you can kill me!" Lilymon accused.

"I would never try to kill you, Banchou!" Skullsatamon swore, throwing his staff away. It got stuck on the wall, a few meters below. "Please, remember me! Remember who you are! Whenever you went, the people sang about you!"

Lilymon was paralyzed as new visions flashed before her eyes. She remembered fighting multiple digimon along with loyal allies. She was celebrated in every city she visited. And there was a song…

 _Her spirit beaming with incandescent courage._

 _Her dazzling weapons soaring with justice._

 _Banchou! Banchou! No one compares to her force!_

 _The one and only who can oppose the Bloody Lord!_

Lilymon paled intensely. _I… was called Banchou?_ She asked herself. _The strongest?_

Meanwhile, Fangmon torn a piece of Angemon's left wing, forcing the humanoid monster to stick his staff into the wall to stop himself from falling.

 _It shouldn't be a problem for me to defeat a Fangmon!_ Angemon thought, anguished. _If I fought with my full power… but… I'm not like that anymore!_

"You're a bore, did you know that?" Fangmon taunted, walking over Angemon's staff and trying to make the angel let go of the object. "Aren't you the same kind of digimon that once spread terror in the world? You have to put up a better fight! Like Seraphimon would!"

"I'm… not…" Angemon's words came out in a wrathful whisper.

"I've heard uncountable exciting stories about that guy." Fangmon began to stab the other's hand with his claws. "He tainted the land red when he fought! There were times when he beheaded and dismembered enemies with his bare hands! He destroyed an entire continent and everybody who was there! Seraphimon was the greatest of the digimon! He was what all digimon should aim to be! If I could ever measure up to his bestiality, I would be so proud!"

Angemon finally fell.

 _Because there were many digimon like this…_ Angemon was recollecting his past. _Elecmon told us what digimon like this Fangmon did. And I used to say…_

 _"If only there was a digimon who was powerful and fair, the Digital World could become safe for everybody."_

 _In a full moon night, she was sitting on the edge of the well. But she had no shadow... and was almost transparent… I asked who that was… she looked deeply into my eyes and told me…_

 _"I am the very Spirit of this World."_

 _I couldn't believe that. That being continued to talk to me._

 _"You want to save the world, don't you, Patamon? I can help you with that. I can make you the most powerful digimon in existence, able to reign absolute over all living things."_

Angemon raised one of his bloody hands in the direction of Fangmon. Five meters from the exit of the tunnel, he spoke those four words once again:

"Give me the power!"

* * *

"Angemon is falling!" Tamaki shouted. He had been under the exit of the tunnel, watching the battle and narrating what was happening. "He's hurt!"

"ANGEMON!" Takeru tried to run to the tunnel but was stopped by Jyou.

"You know it's dangerous to get close! You could be hit by an attack!" The sixth grader reminded him.

Not able to free himself from Jyou's grip, Takeru grabbed the pendant that had been around his neck since his talk with Otae. He held it with his right hand and his digivice with his left one.

"Help Angemon!" He gave the yellow rock an order. "Save him!"

"What is this?" Koushiro said, suddenly, covering both his ears. The redhead boy had a terrified face. "This voice…"

"Voice?" Sora asked.

"THE VOICE FROM THE WELL!" Koushiro shouted. "IT'S FATE! IT'S HERE!"

"What did he say?!" Otae thought she had misunderstood it. It could not be true.

"Fate is a fairy tale…" Kanda murmured, startled.

"What is Fate saying?" Jyou questioned, agitated.

"'Welcome back.'" Koushiro replied, looking to Jyou. "It keeps repeating that. 'Welcome back...'"

White light shone inside the tunnel. Takeru took advantage of Jyou's distraction and broke free from him. The little boy ran to the exit of the tunnel and looked up.

Soon, there was blood splattered everywhere.

* * *

"IT'S HIM!" Skullsatamon had dread in his voice. Lilymon looked down, to where the other was looking, and saw Angemon flying back up. His wounds were being healed by a strange white light.

"You seem to have become interesting at last!" Fangmon spoke with glee. But before the red wolf could attack, Angemon got to where he was and grabbed the creature by the neck with all his force.

"Don't talk as if you could understand me! You know nothing about me!" Angemon howled, tearing the wolf's neck and beheading Fangmon. "NOTHING AT ALL!"

The angel looked up and saw Skullsatamon. Angemon aimed his attack on the perfect level digimon's head, destroying it instantly.

"HAND OF FATE!"

Lilymon was thrown against the wall because of the attack's shockwave. She had been watching what was unfolding, astonished.

"A-Angemon…?" Her question came out in a scared whisper. _This power… this brutality… is he really the digimon I've grown up with?_

"I was chosen by the Great Spirit to bring peace to the world!" Angemon stated, grabbing his staff and getting it out of the wall. "Anyone who opposes me must be crushed!"

"ANGEMON!"

Takeru's cry coming from below him paralyzed Angemon. Sudden horror filled his being. _Takeru… Takeru saw what I did! What did I just do? What was I saying just now? No! I'm no longer… I shouldn't… what's the matter with me?!_

Lilymon used her flower ropes to tie the angel up, hoping that would bring him back to his senses.

But when the flower ropes touched her friend, Lilymon had another vision.

She was on the site of a great battle. The grass was tainted red. A golden sword had been struck to her torso. The one holding the sword was a man completely covered in armor, who had golden wings and a helmet with a cross on it. The image of her murderer was flashing back and forth with the image of Angemon.

"You…" Angemon murmured, filled with guilt, while facing her.

Lilymon let go of the ropes and fell, overwhelmed by that vision. She no longer had the will to keep the energy Mimi had given her. She drowned in the stupor, closing her eyes and feeling her body becoming smaller. She did not hit the ground, though.

Palmon opened her eyes and found Angemon holding her in his trembling arms.

"All this time…" She whimpered. "This whole time… I thought we were friends… but you… you are…"

"I didn't know." Angemon swore. "I've only come to remember after being reborn… following the battle against Devimon."

Palmon tried to get away from him, but was powerless to do it.

"Please, don't tell anyone. Don't tell Takeru." Angemon pleaded. "I will never be that again, I swear. I will never be Seraphimon again."

They landed without uttering any other word. He returned to the form of Patamon. Takeru ran to his partner and hugged him.

"Patamon, you…" Takeru cried, remembering the horrific way his partner had killed the two invaders. "It was Fate… it possessed you and made you act like that, right?"

The small mammal buried his face on the boy's shoulder, saying:

"I'm back to myself, Takeru."

Palmon looked away. Mimi approached her.

"You didn't become Tanemon this time." The girl noticed. "What happened there? Are you alright?"

Before Palmon could say anything, a whistling sound pierced the air. The crack in the space-time continuum grew, destroying the bubble that was containing it. It assumed a rectangular shape, resembling a door. There was the top of a hill covered in snow at the other side. Down the hill, there were a few small wooden huts.

"It's the camp!" Jyou recognized.

"It worked!" Koushiro exclaimed. "We should hurry, before the passage closes and this dimension crumbles." He urged, putting his laptop in his backpack and putting the backpack on his shoulders.

Takeru walked towards the open portal with Patamon in his arms. Before crossing, he turned around to face the adults. He reached the crest pendant with his right hand and held it tightly.

"We're going for now but we'll find our way back." He swore. "We won't let the Digital World be destroyed."

The little boy jumped into the fissure with his partner, landing at the real world.

"Tamaki-san…" Mimi called the man, after picking Palmon up.

"We've had enough crying! Let's part ways with a smile, okay?" Tamaki said, showing her a trembling smile.

"You're already crying, Tamaki-san." Mimi observed. She tried to put a smile on her lips but was unable to. "Thank you for everything." She carried Palmon to the open portal and turned to Homura.

"Homura-san, I don't agree with many things you did, but thank you for caring for us." The ten-year-old told the woman, who smiled to her.

"I inflicted pain to others to distract myself from my own pain." Homura admitted. "I regret that… and I regret thinking less of you for you not being cynical. There's no nobler strength than the one you possess."

"Thanks." Mimi felt hot tears coming to her eyes. Then, she looked at Otae.

"I don't really know what to tell you, I'm sorry." Mimi said.

"Don't worry about that." Otae found the girl amusing.

"Mimi-san, I don't want to be rude, but if you don't hurry up we'll die." Koushiro informed his classmate.

"Ah, right!" Mimi was ashamed. "One last thing! Kanda-san!"

"There's no need for you to tell me-" Kanda started.

"I can't believe you convinced Koushiro-kun to leave us behind to look for Otae-san and then lied to us about his whereabouts! That was awful! Shame on you!"

"Kanda-san did what?!" Sora was surprised.

"Mimi-kun, why say that to someone who's about to die?" Jyou questioned.

"If I didn't say it, it would bother me forever." Mimi replied, jumping to the real world while holding Palmon. At the other side, she added: "But now that I've said it, I can forgive Kanda-san."

"Thank you." Kanda muttered.

"I-I don't have much time for goodbyes now." Jyou had a concerned tone, turning to Homura. Pukamon landed on his shoulder.

"Just be concise." His partner advised.

"Stay true to yourself." Homura told the sixth grader, with a large smile. "It was an honor to meet you."

Jyou was able to smile, despite his eyes getting humid.

"B-be at peace, Homura-san." He brought himself to say, with difficulty, while stumbling backwards into the portal.

Sora picked Piyokomon up and gazed at Kanda.

"I'm very sorry." Sora did not know what else she could say to someone at death's door.

"Be happy." The man wished.

"I intend to." The girl tried to smile. She crossed to the human world with her partner.

The borders of the portal began to distort. Distant sounds of footsteps were approaching the room.

"Koushiro-han, we need to go!" Motimon urged his friend. Koushiro gently picked him up.

"I…" Otae hesitated.

"The things you want to tell me, I already know." The boy gave her an assuring smile. "You're together with the three people you care about… I'm glad that you're not alone anymore."

He jumped to the other side of the portal, embracing Motimon.

"Koushiro-chii!"

When he heard Otae calling him by his name, Koushiro turned around to face the closing portal. At the other side, the woman had a tear falling from each eye. With a trembling grin, she told him:

"Live!"

The portal closed, sending red sparks upwards. Not long after that, above the kids' heads there was only a clear sky.

They did not know how things had unfolded at the other side. They did not know that the four adults reached the end of their story hugging each other, without exchanging unnecessary words. Nor did they know that the army approaching the lowest floor and the Blossomon who had stayed close to the teleportation pods died suddenly, not understanding what had happened. To the kids' ignorance, the Spirit of the World carried the data of the fallen digimon out of the crumbling pocked dimension, so they could be reborn one day. It left the data of the clones to be completely destroyed, so the original chosen children could rest forever.

The five children did not know that Afro-Agumon, who was supervising the mission in Vamdemon's castle, hurried upstairs right after losing communication, before the teleportation pods at his side began to emit red sparks. And without their knowledge, Vamdemon destroyed his room, filled with distress over the loss of his army, while Piedmon met Ladydevimon on the roof, where he told her: "The chosen children are dead! We won!"

And those five children could not even suspect that Wizarmon and Tailmon had found the portal Nanomon had promised in an old laboratory built over a lake. Neither cold they imagine that the mage opened a passage to Japan and promised his friend that she would find light.

If someone was to ask the surviving chosen children what they were thinking while looking at the empty spot through which they had crossed back to their world, they would not know what to say. Their digimon partners looked at them, anxiously. Palmon glanced from Mimi to Patamon. The little animal got out of Takeru's grip and landed in front of the boy, giving a sorrowful glance at the plant digimon. Takeru did not notice the absence in his arms.

Jyou wept quietly. Mimi sobbed. Koushiro kept his eyes on where he had seen Otae. Sora placed a hand on the redhead boy's right shoulder.

Then, a voice broke the silence among the woods.

"TAKERUUUU!"

All of them turned around. A blond boy who should be close to Sora's age was running up the hill, followed by a boy with large brown hair.

"ONII-CHAN!" Takeru cried, running to his brother. When they reached each other, they shared the tightest embrace they had ever had.

"You disappeared after that wave! I was looking for you like crazy!" Yamato sounded like he was scolding his brother. The shakiness of his body made it evident how concerned he had been.

"Sora! Koushiro!" Taichi approached his two friends. "How did you guys get up here?"

"Hello, Taichi-san." Koushiro murmured.

"Good to see you again, Taichi." Sora greeted him. Then, she glanced at the little boy and Yamato. _I'm happy for you, Takeru-kun_. She thought. _He seems like a great big brother._

Without anyone noticing, Patamon got close to the two siblings.

"So that's Yamato?" He asked. "He looks a lot like you, Takeru."

Yamato slowly broke the hug and stared, startled, at the little creature.

"Did that toy just say our names?" The older sibling questioned.

"Patamon is not a toy. He's my digimon partner." Takeru explained.

"Digimon?" Taichi asked, examining Piyokomon and Motimon, who were still being held by his friends.

"Well…" Sora took a deep breath. "I guess we have a lot of explaining to do."

And then, Yamato and Taichi were told an unbelievable story.

 **With this chapter, the second arc of The Song of Love comes to an end. The story of the original chosen children is now complete. Next month, hopefully, the third arc starts. It could be said that this is the part of the story that marks the beginning of the end. But maybe it is, actually, the end of the beginning.**


	25. Not to say

**Important note: FFnet doesn't allow the chapter title to be too long, so I had to shorten it for the email alerts and the index. The full title appears in the text.**

"I pretended to be sick," Hikari confessed, keeping her gaze on the white roses in front of her. She thought those were the most beautiful ones in the shop. "My brother really wanted me to go…"

"But it'd be awkward to see _him,_ " The boy standing next to her completed her sentence.

"I made my family worry about me for no reason," She muttered, looking down.

"Your parents left you alone to go visit your grandmother. Clearly, they weren't as concerned as you think."

"Why do you have to talk like that about them?" Hikari lifted her eyes and stared at the boy. "They do the best they can. They know that I can handle myself."

"The last time they left you sick and without supervision, you almost died." The other reminded her. "And now they're leaving you alone again. If you were to get really ill, I wonder if they would blame your brother once more."

"I'm not sick for real!" Hikari slightly raised her voice. Instantaneously, she brought both her hands to cover her mouth and looked away, back to the roses on display.

The boy stretched his right hand and picked one of the flowers. Then, he handed it to Hikari, who held it with care.

"I apologize for upsetting you, Hikari-san." He said.

"This is my favorite flower." The girl had a smile on the lips.

"In the west, the white rose is related to virtue. In Japan, it's said to represent devotion, innocence and…" An expression of sorrow took over his face.

"Silence, right?" Hikari asked, bringing the rose close to her nose. "I've read about these flowers more than once."

"And they're still your favorites," He murmured, turning his back to her, setting his gaze on the entrance of the flower shop.

"Is that snow?" Hikari questioned, looking at the glass door of the place. Many snowflakes were falling from the sky and covering the ground outside.

"Snowy town…" The boy said to himself, with melancholy.

"I'd like to take this flower with me." Hikari tried to change the subject. The other turned around and saw the girl smiling while smelling the white rose once again.

"You know that's not possible." The boy told her.

"Not even if it were Spring?" She insisted.

He chuckled, briefly.

"You have a peculiar sense of humor, Hikari-san."

"Lots of people call me 'peculiar.'" Hikari said. "In less polite words, though."

"I believe it's time for you to open your eyes." The boy told her. She furrowed her eyebrows, slightly, but quickly put a new smile on her lips.

"Let's talk again soon, okay?" She told him. The boy did not agree nor disagree.

"Good-bye, Hikari-san." He attempted to show her a warm smile. The girl appreciated the gesture.

"See you later, my friend."

 **Chapter 25: Not to say I haven't talked about the flowers**

After taking a hot shower, Hikari went straight to the bedroom she shared with Taichi. Through the closed window, she could see the snow falling more heavily. The little girl put on cotton pants and a white sweater. She looked for her hairbrush but did not find it. Her brother had probably taken it to the camp.

The girl pondered about someday telling Taichi to stop using her hairbrush. It felt like an immature complaint, though. She should just let it slide aside, like always.

The phone rang. When Hikari picked it up, it was difficult to hear the person at the other side of the line.

"Hi…. too m… snow… take lon… come bac… tofu… fridge…" A voice that should belong to her mother said right before the connection was lost. The girl went to the sofa in the living room and turned on the television. The image was distorted but it was possible to devise a reporter talking about the sudden snowfall in a large part of the country, despite being summer.

Her cat, Miko, jumped to the spot next to her. Hikari caressed the feline and said in a cheerful tone:

"It seems that it's going to be just you and me today."

Nobody in her family knew it but Hikari enjoyed being home alone. She took advantage of the fact that nobody was nearby to watch what she was doing to have silly fun. She was too embarrassed to do it any other way. Besides, if Taichi was around and watched her playing by herself, he would immediately jump to make company to his sister. Then, he would suggest, enthusiastically, what game they should play, which roles each would have and what the overall rules could be, grinning the whole time. Hikari did not mind that, she believed. Her brother was clearly having fun and she liked to see him happy.

Taichi was remarkably different from her. Anyone could notice that. Some people who knew both siblings even questioned, at times, how the boy could be so outgoing and charismatic while the girl was shy and somewhat gloomy. Being the good brother he was, Taichi took it upon himself to help Hikari to be more popular.

 _"_ _Just smile more."_ He used to say, beaming. _"As long as you smile, lots of people will like you."_

It worked for him. Taichi's smile and energetic presence could lift the spirits of everybody. Not for other reason he was so well liked and had an ever growing group of friends.

Hikari's smiles were not as large or bright as his. She usually did not show her teeth and sometimes closed her eyes. It became so natural for her to smile that she stopped noticing that she was doing it at all. It was almost as if that was a permanent feature of her face.

Ever since she began to follow Taichi's advice, her peers included her more in their activities. They even called her 'pleasant' to be around. Sometimes, however, Hikari could overhear whispers among her classmates.

 _"_ _That Hikari girl is pretty creepy, huh?"_

Nevertheless, she smiled.

That day, she felt like playing make-believe with her cat. The girl tied a pink sheet around her neck, pretending it was a cape, and picked up the broom that stayed in the kitchen, pretending it was a sword.

"Come, dragon Miko!" She said, dramatically, pointing the broom to her front, where there was the closed glass door to the snow filled balcony. "We must find the… erhm…" Hikari tried to think in a cool sounding name, "Winter Magician! Yes! The Winter Magician is behind this snow storm! We must find him!"

The cat stayed sat on the sofa.

"Oh, my, Princess Hikari!" Hikari talked in a high-pitched tone, pretending to be the animal. "Your brother, the King, doesn't want you to venture outside the castle! It's dangerous!"

"Fear not, dragon!" Hikari spoke in what she believed to be an honorable voice. "Although I appreciate my brother's love for me, I must not allow it to stop me from aiding the people in distress, for I am a Knight before I am a Princess!"

Hikari giggled at her own forced tone of voice. She pretended to go on a quest with Dragon Miko to a cave, where she found out that the Winter Magician had been imprisoned by an evil Trickster. She used the sword-broom to defeat the villain and was about to free the Magician from his confinement when…

"Who comes there?" She asked, pointing to thin air. "Sky Sorcerer?" Hikari gasped in exaggerated surprise. "My brother sent you to protect me? What?! He wants you to take me back home?"

The girl pointed the broom-sword in the direction of the kitchen, where she imagined Sky Sorcerer was.

"I can't leave while there are people who need my help!" She stated. "If you try to stop me, I'll be forced to resist, even though you're my brother's trusted advisor! I do not fear your fire magic! I have a dragon and a magic talisman that can overpower-"

The sound of something metallic hitting the balcony startled Hikari, making her let go of the broom and forget about her make-believe game. She slowly walked to the glass door and opened it, stepping on a thin layer of snow with her home sandals. A little machine was on the floor.

She took it up, gently, and examined it. A weak ray of white light came from it, making Hikari feel warm on the inside. She beamed, looking up to the gray clouds.

"Thank you for the gift." She told the falling snow.

* * *

"Onii-chan!" Takeru cried when the wave came in his direction. Yamato ran to him and tried to grab the little boy's hand. He was not able to reach him in time. The wave hit them both.

Under the mass of water, Yamato saw a large and flat dark circle. Takeru was being dragged in that thing's direction, along with four of the five other children. They lost consciousness right before disappearing into the darkness. Yamato tried to swim but could not move from where he was. The dark circle disappeared and the water retreated to the lake a little after that.

Yamato found himself facing the wet ground. Shaking, he got to his feet. Another boy did the same a couple of meters at his right.

"SORA! KOUSHIRO!" The other shouted, running to the lake. As soon as he got to its border, the surface froze, like magic.

"Rock! I need a rock!" The boy with large brown hair looked around, desperate, until he turned to Yamato. "Why are you standing there doing nothing? We need to break the ice and take them out!"

"They're not in the lake…" Yamato was surprised that he could talk despite the numbness in his body. "A dark circle absorbed them… they were taken somewhere else…"

"Dark circle?" The other boy asked. "Everything was dark down there… wait! You're saying they were abducted or something?"

Yamato could no longer reply to his questions. He braced himself, trying to stop the shakiness that had taken his body over, with no success. He closed his eyes and saw once again the scared expression in his brother's face as he was being taken away.

"Where's Takeru…?" Yamato unconsciously voiced his anguish. "Where's my brother…? He's all alone… I should've protected him… I should've stayed by his side… what's happening to him now? Is he in danger? Is he afraid…? How could I let this happen? My fault… all my fault… it's all my fault…"

A sudden hurtful feeling appeared in Yamato's left cheek and he almost lost his balance. When he looked to the other boy and saw his right arm stretched with its fist clenched, Yamato understood what had happened.

"Sorry for punching you like that." The other said. "You weren't reacting to what I was saying and kept talking like a maniac… it scared me."

Yamato simply stared at him, in shock.

"I'm Taichi, by the way."

"Yamato…" The other murmured without realizing it.

"Listen, Yamato, wherever your brother is, Sora is with him. She's good with kids and very caring and responsible, I'm sure he's going to be alright. Also, Koushiro is there too. He's the most intelligent person I know, so-"

The blond child ignored him and walked away, in the direction of the hill.

"Why are you going there?!" Taichi asked.

"I can get a better view of the surroundings from up the hill." Yamato explained. "Maybe I could spot something… Takeru could be nearby…"

"Why do you think they would be nearby?" Taichi questioned.

"It's all I can do now!" Yamato shouted, trembling. "Do you have a better plan?!"

"I think we should tell an adult-" Taichi began to suggest.

"What adult would believe that my brother vanished in a mysterious dark circle?!" The blond child snapped. "They're going to think that I'm lying! Or worse!"

"Hey!" Taichi grabbed him by the arm and forced Yamato to face him. "Stop yelling at me! You're not the only one who's worried! Two of my friends disappeared!"

"MY BROTHER DISAPPEARED!" Yamato roared. "Besides, you don't seem nearly as concerned as I am!"

"That's because I was trying to be considerate of you!" Taichi raised his voice.

The blond boy paled after hearing that. He took a better look at Taichi and realized the other boy was shaking as well. Nevertheless, Taichi tried to keep a smile on the lips.

"You need to calm down, okay?" The boy with brown hair told him. "Getting desperate isn't going to help anyone."

To have a complete stranger telling him what to do triggered a violent urge in Yamato. Without thinking, he pushed Taichi to the snow covered ground, walking away immediately after that, as quickly as he could. He had no other motivation than to get away from him, but he convinced himself that he had done that to better focus on searching for Takeru. Two or three minutes later, Taichi caught up to him and pushed Yamato down; the blond boy fell to the ground.

"Are you trying to pick a fight with me?!" Yamato growled.

"You're the one who started it!" Taichi shouted, climbing on the other and holding his arms down. "What's your problem?! You're the most infuriating person I know!"

"I don't give a damn about how you feel about me!"

"I'll make you give a damn!"

Suddenly, red sparks went up to the sky, coming from a point close to the top of the hill. Taichi and Yamato forgot about their fight and got up the fastest they could.

The two boys went to that spot and found the five missing children and five mysterious creatures. The kids told them that they had gone to a different world and what happened there, until they returned through a crack in space-time continuum.

Yamato had stayed extremely quiet while the others summed up what had happened during the five minutes they were gone. Better said, during the last five days, as the boy with red hair explained that a day in the other world was a minute in the human world. Taichi interrupted the narrative all the time by asking questions and showing concern for the said fourth-grader and the girl with orange hair and bandaged hands. Yamato had problems registering everything that was being told to him.

"Onii-chan." Takeru called him, by his side. The little boy had the creature named Patamon on his lap. "Are you feeling alright?"

Before Yamato could reply, the girl with orange hair, sitting across from him, said:

"We just told your brother too many things; he needs some time to process them, Takeru-kun."

The older sibling did not understand why but what the girl said bothered him immensely. She had guessed what was going on with him too accurately, despite him trying not to let his discomfort show. Did that mean that his act was not good enough? No, it was not just what she had said. Takeru had looked up to her during the whole narration and, when the little boy interrupted to give more details (like he did when he felt the need to explain why he was not being very polite to the group after his partner died and resurrected), the small child kept on glancing at the girl, as if asking telepathically if what he said was okay. The natural way that stranger talked to his brother and the caring looks they shared made Yamato feel something heavy in his heart.

"Let's see if I understood everything." Taichi said after everybody stopped talking. "That storm in Hikarigaoka four years ago had to do with a battle between the first children and a Queen-slash-Goddess-slash-Mother-slash-whatever…" He had a concentrated expression. "The kids were brought there by an Academy. The Academy killed the kids and cloned them. Then, the Kanda guy killed or brainwashed almost everybody in the Academy and pretended to be a dude called Gennai. After that, Kanda-slash-Gennai brought you guys to the Digital World to fight the followers of the Queen-slash-Godess. Your digimon… that's their name, right? Your digimon evolved and became huge and strong when you strengthened your bonds with them. They fought and protect you. When the little kid's digimon died, it became an egg and the kid was pretty messed up about it-"

"Hey!" Yamato glared at Taichi. "Speak about my brother more respectfully! He was suffering! Alone!"

"I wasn't alone." Takeru corrected. "Sora-san and everybody else was there for me."

"Right… _Sora_ …" Yamato muttered, looking down.

"I totally didn't understand the part with the mirrors but Sora got trapped in an orb, somehow, and hurt her hands trying to free her partner from a wall of ice. Then, Koushiro went there and helped… how did you help Sora, exactly?" Taichi asked the redhead boy, who seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.

"Ah…" Koushiro was evasive. "We talked about feelings…"

"You gave emotional support to Sora or something?" Taichi was shocked. "I'd never imagine that happening! And why would Sora, from all people, need that anyway?"

Jyou sensed that the comment had upset the fourth-grader boy and the fifth-grader girl. He was ready to say something. However, Mimi did it first:

"You don't understand anything about Sora-san and Koushiro-kun!"

Taichi raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?" He asked, seriously. "Are you under the impression that you understand them better than me? I've known both Sora and Koushiro for years!"

"I had known Koushiro-kun for years before going to the Digital World with him!" Jyou spoke. "But I only got to start understanding him when the Spirit-"

"Jyou-san!" Koushiro interrupted Jyou, giving him an anxious look. Sora, who was between the fourth-grader boy and Taichi, seemed apprehensive as well.

"What Spirit? What was he going to say?" Taichi asked Koushiro.

"It's an enemy Jyou-sempai faced when his crest glowed." Sora explained.

"And what does that Spirit have to do with Koushiro?" Taichi inquired. "Are you going to give any actual detail of what happened or should I conform myself with 'there were enemies who attacked us, our digimon evolved, we were saved,' heh, Sora?"

"You're really self-centered, aren't you?" Mimi censured Taichi.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" The boy inquired. "Sora and Koushiro are my friends! It's natural that I want to know exactly what happened to them!"

"You're acting as if they owed you an explanation! They'll tell you what they want when they feel like it!" Mimi stated.

"Mimi-chan, that's enough!" Sora scolded the younger girl. "You're reading too much into this. Taichi is worried and he didn't measure his words right."

"I didn't measure…?!" Taichi let out a nervous laugh, but it was clear that he was angry. "So you think it's not my place to want to know what happened to you?"

"Give them some space!" Yamato suddenly shouted, startling everybody. "They're the ones who went through the hardest times and they're still recovering from it! How about instead of forcing them to talk about their traumas you try to be more _considerate_?"

Taichi became sickly pale and stared at Yamato with wide open eyes.

"I hadn't realized…" Taichi muttered, after a minute, furrowing his eyebrows and glancing at the other kids. Sora and Koushiro seemed to be upset. _Did I make them feel bad? What's the matter with me?_ He asked himself.

"I'm going to tell you everything, Taichi." Sora promised, looking into his eyes. "But not right now. Not right after saying good-bye to four people who are now…" Sora's lips trembled. "We need some time to think things through, is that okay?"

He nodded. The sad way Sora spoke made Taichi feel his own heart being squeezed. He felt like a horrid person for not understanding sooner how she felt and thanked Yamato mentally for stopping him from upsetting her more.

"Sometimes people are insensitive without wanting to be." Jyou told Taichi. "It's like you let your anxiety take over your brain and you can't see your surroundings anymore. I understand that really well."

"Jyou got on everybody's nerves at least once in the Digital World. He really knows what he's talking about." Pukamon commented, resting on his partner's left shoulder.

"That's right!" Takeru smirked. "Like that time he thought that I was going to feel better if he told me that I was lucky because my family was split apart!"

 _The blue-haired guy said what to him?!_ Yamato was torn between feeling angry at his brother's stead and feeling pity for the person who had been capable of making a mistake like that.

"Yeah… I had some family issues back then…" Jyou spoke in an embarrassed tone. "I still have them…"

"You should talk to your family about those issues." Sora suggested. "We all should do that."

Taichi noticed that his best friend's expression became sadder when she said the later part. He wondered if she had family problems and, if she had, why Sora had never told him. It was in that moment that he came to the realization that Sora barely spoke about her personal life during their conversations. How could it be possible that he had never paid attention to that? Had Sora needed someone to talk about her problems and never asked him? But he was her best friend! She had said so many times! Why did she not trust her best friend? _Koushiro said that he talked to Sora about feelings…_ Taichi recalled. _Koushiro never talked about feelings with me. He always just talked about scientific stuff! But then, when I'm not around, suddenly he becomes a sensitive person capable of supporting others? He was so awkward I had to always mediate for him! I was the one who put more effort in making him interact more with the other teammates! Yet, he never tried to have a deep conversation with me. Was he hiding that side of him from me? He didn't want me to know but he let Sora… what even happened to her in that orb? Was she upset just because her partner was trapped and she couldn't free her? Was she in such bad shape that she had to talk to someone and Koushiro happened to be the only person around? But there was something about him seeing a memory of Sora in a mirror and being connected to her...what kind of memory was that? Did that incident make them get closer to each other? That must be it! That must be how Koushiro came to understand Sora enough to be able to help her! It happened by pure accident… and because I wasn't there._

Taichi felt exhausted just by thinking about those things. He looked at his friends and noticed how tired they seemed to be. Not only Sora and Koushiro. Distress and sadness were evident in those five children's faces and body language. To think that he was so focused in his own feelings that he failed to support them filled Taichi with shame. That was not how a good person should act. The boy became determined to make them smile.

"So, this flower is your partner?" Taichi put on a cheerier tone while pointing to the digimon resting in Sora's arms.

"I'm Piyokomon. Nice to meet you, Sora's friend!" The small creature greeted.

"His name is Yagami Taichi, Piyokomon. He's my best friend." Sora introduced him with a smile, which made Taichi feel lighter.

"Ah! That's right!" Takeru shouted, putting Patamon on the ground. He stood up and grabbed his brother by the right hand, making him stand up as well. The little boy dragged him to where Sora was. The girl put herself on her feet.

"I've wanted to introduce you two to each other for so long! Onii-chan, this is Takenouchi Sora, our leader!"

"Leader?" Taichi asked, surprised. "Good on you, Sora!"

The girl blushed. In spite of that, she did not stop looking into Yamato's eyes.

"I've heard many good things about you." Sora showed him a gentle smile. "I know that it would've been better if you were there with Takeru-kun. But I did my best to look out for him."

"See? I told you!" Taichi blinked to Yamato. Nevertheless, the blond boy did not seem to notice the gesture.

Yamato examined Sora, not saying anything. She seemed to be mature and kind, and it was obvious that Takeru had established a strong bond with her. Still, something regarding that girl bothered him. Something that got worse when he thought about how Takeru smiled at her.

"His name is Ishida Yamato and he's in fifth grade." Takeru introduced his brother to Sora. "Don't be fooled by his intense gaze. He's not angry; he's just shy and kind of awkward around people."

"Takeru!" Yamato reacted to that comment, turning completely red.

"It's okay, Yamato-kun." Sora muffled a laugh. "I understand-"

"What do you understand? You don't even know me!" Yamato let his frustration out by accident. The remaining children stood up and gave him disapproving looks.

 _Why did I say that? She did nothing wrong!_ He wondered, looking away. _I should apologize._

"Oi-" Taichi began.

"Hey, Yamato-san." Mimi took two steps in his direction. "If you think you can talk to Sora-san that way-"

"It's alright, Mimi-chan." Sora interrupted, calmly. "We all went through a lot and need some time to think things clearly."

"He can't help it." Taichi smirked. "Some people just can't control their emotions."

"I don't want to hear that coming from you!" Yamato elevated his voice, clenching his fists and glaring at Taichi.

"Hey, man, how about you stop picking fights?" Taichi suggested.

"Yeah, your attitude is annoying everybody, Grumpy-face-san!" Mimi added.

"Mimi-chan, don't give nicknames to people!" Sora reprehended.

"That was not very nice of you, Mimi-kun." Jyou scolded Mimi. "However, Sora-kun," he turned to Sora, "Mimi-kun did that because she cares for you." He added.

"That's right!" Mimi said. "I can't stand to see my friends being treated badly!"

"Okay, I need to ask something." Taichi adopted an over the top serious tone. "If Sora is the leader of the group, shouldn't Jyou call her 'Sora-san' instead of 'Sora-kun'?"

"I-Is that right?" Jyou got nervous. "Was I being inappropriate? Should I change the honorific? To think that I never noticed that when I was the first one to want Sora-kun for leader! I mean…" His cheeks became very red. "S-Sora-san…?"

"Don't worry about that, Jyou-sempai." Sora giggled. "I actually came to like the 'kun.'"

"R-really?" Jyou relaxed. "I wouldn't mind changing honorifics for you."

"If you don't mind changing honorifics, Jyou-san, you could start calling me 'Mimi-chan.'" Mimi suggested, sheepishly.

"T-T-That's too informal! Mimi-kun, w-what would people think?" Jyou stuttered, flustered.

"They would think that we're close friends, which we are." Mimi told him.

"But 'chan' is so… it doesn't feel adequate!" Jyou affirmed.

"What's wrong with 'chan'?" Taichi asked, amused. "It's perfectly normal to add 'chan' to a girl's name. Isn't that right, Mimi-chan?" He grinned, looking at Mimi.

"It feels wrong coming from you." Mimi let Taichi know. "It makes you sound like _tha_ t _kind of guy_."

"What kind of guy?" Taichi blinked in confusion.

While the others were distracted, Yamato got closer to Sora and muttered "sorry" so softly that nobody but her could hear it. She smiled, showing that she had accepted the apology. Then, he retreated to where his little brother was and noticed that Takeru had his eyes on him. Was the little boy watching him the whole time?

"There you are!" A man's voice said, suddenly. The teacher responsible for the summer camp had climbed the hill in search of the kids. "Were you here the whole time?"

Jyou took three steps in the adult's direction.

"Did we worry you? I'm so sorry! I take full responsibility!" Jyou hurried to say.

"What? Don't worry about that!" The teacher laughed. "I was looking for you because the bus is ready to go. Your baggage is already on board."

"The camp was canceled?" Sora asked. "Because of the snow?"

"This sudden bad weather is hitting almost the entire country. We need to leave before it gets worse." The man explained. "I'm needed down there. Don't take too long to come."

He left them. The children exchanged looks.

"I assumed the snow was a side effect of the portal Kanda-san had opened." Koushiro said.

"Is it something else?" Motimon asked, still in his arms.

"Maybe it's an enemy." Palmon theorized.

"There's no way someone dangerous came to the Real World." Patamon assured, taking flight from the ground.

"Someone dangerous _certainly_ came." Palmon murmured, gazing from Patamon to the snow under her feet. Patamon looked down as well. He felt Takeru's arms gently involving him.

"What did you mean by that?" Mimi asked her partner, afraid.

Palmon stayed silent for half a minute, before answering:

"It's just my intuition."

"Since when do you have intuition?" Pyokomon asked.

"It's not like you to act all mysterious, Palmon." Motimon pointed out.

"Leave her alone. When she feels like it, she's going to talk." Pukamon gave his opinion.

"Are you guys going to pretend to be stuffed animals?" Taichi questioned the digimon. "People are going to get scared if they see you talking."

"Scared…" Patamon murmured, disturbed.

"Everything is going to be okay." Takeru promised him.

"We should tell just our parents about the digimon." Mimi suggested. "We don't want the government taking our partners away, like it happens in movies."

"Our parents do need to know that we're having guests." Jyou said. "They're the ones who are going to pay for their food and overall needs."

"Is it really a good idea to tell our families?" Koushiro asked, apprehensively. "If they get to know what happened to us… they're not going to be okay after that!"

"It'd be messed up if they were okay after knowing what happened to us!" Mimi stated.

"Koushiro-kun, you're not thinking about lying to your family, are you?" Jyou confronted him.

"It's not _lying_! I just don't want them to worry about me." Koushiro tried to explain.

"Koushiro-kun." Sora called him. "I know where you're coming from. But don't you think this could be a good opportunity for you to have an honest conversation with your parents?"

 _What does that mean?_ Taichi asked himself. _Koushiro has a great relationship with his parents, doesn't he? Does he… have family issues as well?_ He had a cold sensation in his spine. _Sora and Koushiro talked about their families… they trusted secrets to each other._ His hands trembled. _Meanwhile, I'm here just… left in the dark. As if I'm just some guy they happen to know and not… why am I thinking these depressing things? Of course I'm their friend! We're going to sort everything out._

"That's right! Nothing is more important than honesty!" Jyou affirmed.

"No need to rub our awesomeness on their faces, Jyou!" Pukamon joked. "Although the crest of Honesty is objectively the best one!"

All the chosen children smirked for a few seconds. Then, their expressions became somber.

"She was awesome in many ways." Jyou said, glancing down. "At least she's in peace now…"

"He's talking about Homura-san, who used to have his crest." Takeru explained to his brother. "She died with everybody else."

Yamato paid attention to the serious look on Takeru's face and on how low the boy's voice sounded. His little brother was acting more mature than the older boy had ever seen him.

"I'm so sorry, Takeru." Yamato muttered.

"I never got to know the former owner of my crest; it's not as bad for me as it is for them."

"Hey…" Taichi whispered, getting closer to Takeru. "Are Sora and Koushiro… I mean… how are they… how did they…?"

Yamato raised an eyebrow. _Is he afraid to talk to his friends? Is it because I told him to give them space?_

"I wouldn't call Kanda-san a good person." Takeru said. "But I wouldn't call him evil either. Sora-san probably had a better understanding of him than anyone else. I'm not sure about how affected she is by his death. I don't know how Koushiro-san is dealing with Otae-san's death either."

"I see." Taichi murmured. "Thank you for telling me that."

"You're good friends with them both, right?" Takeru questioned. "You can just ask them how they're feeling."

"Didn't you see what happened earlier?" Taichi laughed, nervously. "I'm a disaster when it comes to sensitivity… it seems…" He added, scratching his head.

"That shouldn't stop you from trying." Takeru advised. "People who care for each other shouldn't give up on communicating their feelings. Otherwise, they grow apart… and one day it seems like they were never close to begin with."

It was impossible for Yamato not to relate what his brother had described to the situation of their family. To think that a little kid like him had understood that so well and knew how to put it in words scared and saddened Yamato. _He's sounding like an adult…_ He thought. _I assumed that he was going to feel isolated in the camp and that he was going to need me all the time. But he managed everything well on his own. He grew up so much… and he made friends._ Yamato glanced at Sora, who was talking to the other kids a couple of meters away. _People who were strangers to him a few minutes ago…_

"You're really intelligent, aren't you?" Taichi spoke with admiration, smiling at Takeru.

"T-thanks." Takeru blushed.

"And it seems that you became good friends with Sora and the others as well, in a short amount of time. That's impressive!" Taichi added.

"I think we're great friends now." Takeru replied, grinning. "Without realizing it, they became essential to me."

It was a simple statement but it had the power to shake something in Yamato's core. A nasty feeling spread through his body, as if it was being pumped in his veins. However, the older sibling did not know what that feeling was.

"We should head to the bus already." Yamato said, beginning to walk down the hill. "We can't let everybody wait for us."

The trip back took longer than necessary because the driver had to do his job with extra care due to the slipping road. The digimon, pretending to be stuffed animals, were a hit among the other children. Apparently, the girl named Mimi caused surprise among her friends because she wanted to sit with the two boys that had travelled with Takeru to the other world. The little brother glanced down many times at Patamon, who seemed to be meditating on something difficult over the boy's lap.

Yamato sensed that Takeru was worried about the tiny monster for some reason. He pondered about saying something to cheer him up but could not come up with anything. Talking to his little brother had been getting more awkward each time they met. However, the knowledge that he was a small child that needed him usually made Yamato capable of putting his personal discomfort aside to support Takeru.

But now, the gradual distance between them had suddenly grown kilometers. Takeru no longer acted like a small child, but someone a lot older and wiser than Yamato himself.

* * *

Ladydevimon was in front of the red door to give her report. It had been two weeks since the fall of the Academy and of the chosen children. With no opposition, the Sanctuary's plans for the Digital World were moving smoothly.

"Babamon's rule over Aurora Town is becoming stricter." Ladydevimon informed. "She's making the police suppress manifestations against her."

"What about Etemon?" The Queen asked.

"He's hiding in the Downtown, supporting the opposition to Babamon. He told me that the citizens of Aurora Town would take care of the situation and that we should not interfere." Ladydevimon answered.

"He has always been that kind of fool." The other woman sighed. "Those who believe that flowers can beat canons."

Ladydevimon felt a known pain in her heart.

"He might achieve something." She dared to sound hopeful. "Last time I saw him, my little brother was more determined than ever to reach everybody's hearts. It seems that he had lost a friend that had inspired him. I wonder who that was."

"It doesn't matter what he does, the end result will be the same." The Queen had a morbid tone. "Only Salvation will change things."

"That's true." The other said in low voice. "It's the only way to erase all the injustice that has befallen this world."

"You've told me about Piedmon, Mugendramon and Metalseadramon. What about Pinocchimon? Has he accomplished his task?" The Queen inquired.

"Pinocchimon is already in the Village of the Beginnings to make sure that no new eggs are created before the Salvation." The fallen angel replied. "He is taking care of the place."

"All the lives lost will be restored after the plan is completed." The Mother assured. "Few digimon remember their past lives. That way, Salvation can bring a new beginning to the new world."

"The digimon who will remember the past could start new conflicts, though." Ladydevimon muttered.

"That won't happen as long as the new world is guarded by a digimon with a kind heart."

The Mother's words made her feel at peace. The ultimate level digimon had never confirmed but Ladydevimon was sure that she – Ofanimon – was the digimon that would guard the world. Once everything ended and the red door was open, the Mother would return to her old ways and make everybody happy. This time, there would be no Academy to oppose her.

A depressing song was playing at the other side of the door. The cries from the corrupted data that once was the population of the Cloud Continent were not too loud. The mix of sounds made Ladydevimon's eyes feel warm. The misery of those poor souls, after thousands of years, would finally end.

However, there was one specific sound missing.

"Has Monzaemon given up on whining?" Ladydevimon questioned, glancing at the barely illuminated corridor, by the end of which his cell was.

"He disappeared a few nights ago." The Mother lowered her tone of voice.

"Disappeared?!" Ladydevimon nearly shouted. "How can that be possible?! He shouldn't be able to use magic here!"

"He vanished from inside the cell." The other informed. "He was shouting incomprehensible things."

"Didn't Monzaemon do that all the time?"

"Yes, but he had never mentioned any _Mr. Raindrop_ before." The Queen answered. "I can think of only one being capable of freeing Monzaemon from here."

"Fate?" Ladydevimon asked, frowning. "What does that thing want with Monzaemon? Hasn't it caused too much harm to the world already?"

"It doesn't matter." The Mother affirmed, full of confidence. "Not even God can stop us now."

* * *

Vamdemon's castle had been silent since that day. The perfect level digimon secluded himself in his tower, forbidding everyone to bother him. Besides him, the only living creatures in the castle were Agumon, who was not on the mood to wear wigs, and Picodevimon. The little bat had never seen his master depressed like that.

"Nobody has come here since we lost our army." Agumon muttered one day, when he was sitting on the entrance hall along with Picodevimon, staring at the closed door. "Not even one new recruit..."

"Everybody has heard about what happened." Picodevimon said, glancing down. "They won't even give Master a chance. It wasn't his fault!"

"I really wanted to visit the human world." Agumon sighed. "What about you? Why did you join the army?"

"It was only Vamdemon-sama and I in the beginning." Picodevimon told him. "I was his first follower."

"Why did you stick by his side all this time? He doesn't seem to like you." Agumon was curious.

"Master doesn't need to like me!" Picodevimon nearly snapped. "Someone great like him-"

A knock on the door captured their attention.

"It's open!" Agumon announced.

"Don't say that! We don't know who is at the other side!" Picodevimon hissed.

A Gabumon covered in bruises pushed the door open and entered. His eyes were filled with determination.

"Is this the place where I can find the digimon who can take me to the human world?" Gabumon inquired.

* * *

In his tower, Vamdemon was sitting on an armchair, looking at a red-covered book from his childhood called "Prophecy Recompilation." The page with the prophecy that changed his life was still marked. He knew its contents without needing to reread it.

 _In the world of the humans, a monster that defied death would rise and rule the mortals. Venomvamdemon, lord of the night, invincible until Love engulfs him._

 _"_ _Then, I simply must never love anyone."_ He came to that conclusion when he was a child.

 _"_ _There's no way you're going to become that Venomvamdemon."_ His peers taunted him.

 _"_ _Yes, I will! I will rule the human world someday!"_ He swore. " _I will prove it to you all! Just watch me!"_

The digimon from his village would not be able to watch him, though. They made the mistake of not surrendering to the Bloody Lord.

Now, nobody would ever see him conquering the human world. He had nor army, nor recognition, nor hope. Vamdemon had dedicated his life to a single goal and now watched as it vanished before his eyes. It had only taken seconds for him to lose everything.

Without warning, someone sang behind him.

"Vem, vamos embora, que esperar não é saber. Quem sabe faz a hora, não espera acontecer."

"Who's there? Who allowed you to enter my tower?!" Vamdemon inquired in cold rage. He slowly stood up and turned his body around. Monzaemon was three meters away, observing a bookshelf.

"Not even one romance here." The stuffed bear censured.

"Did Ofanimon let you go?" Vamdemon questioned.

"It's remarkable that you can say her name as if it was nothing." The toy monster commented. "But you don't do that in front of Ladydevimon and the Dark Masters."

"Answer my questions!" The vampire ordered. "Otherwise, I will cause you a lot of pain!"

"Do you honestly think you can do that?" For the first time, Monzaemon looked at him. The stuffed animal seemed to be bored.

"You're nothing but-" The other began.

"In front of you stands a former priest of the Sanctuary, well versed in magic, who outsmarted everybody there." Monzaemon interrupted, in a tedious tone. "And you're nothing more than the Picodevimon who swore loyalty to the digimon who slaughtered your entire village."

A wave of fury took control of Vamdemon's body. How dared that digimon speak to him with so much disrespect? How dared that toy talk about things he did not understand? To remind him of that day?! Of that angel?! Vamdemon took his whip out of his belt, ready to reduce the talking stuffed bear to data particles.

"Since I came here to propose you something, I should show some consideration for you by answering one of your questions." Monzaemon sighed. "Ofanimon didn't let me go."

"Are you trying to tell me that you escaped?" The vampire snarled.

"I was lost in despair." Monzaemon narrated, darkly. "I couldn't escape the horror slowly reducing me to nothing. There was not even one melody to appease my heart… only screams. One day, all the noises stopped and I heard something beautiful."

"What did you hear?" Vamdemon asked.

"A song." Monzaemon answered in a peaceful tone. "You like prophecies, don't you? Do you know the one about the song of the final day?"

"Have you seen the end of the world to know about that song?" Vamdemon taunted.

"Have I?" The toy had a malicious grin.

"You're not making any sense!" The perfect level digimon was getting frustrated. "Why did you come here?"

"As I said, I have a proposition for you." Monzaemon spoke.

"I'm not interested." The vampire rejected him.

"It's about a great source of power in the human world." The toy informed. "A power greater than you can imagine."

"What kind of power?" Vamdemon was a little curious. "In the human world, you say?"

"Godly power, capable of making wishes come true." Monzaemon replied. "Do you want that power, Vamdemon?"

"Do you take me by a fool?" Vamdemon raised his voice. "Do you think I'm simply going to believe whatever you say?"

"You lose nothing by going to the human world with me." Monzaemon pointed out. "Or would you rather stay in this castle and drown in self-pity?"

Vamdemon felt enraged once again but this time could control his temper better. The other was right. If it was true that there was godly power hidden in the human world, Vamdemon's lack of an army would no longer be a problem. Perhaps that power was the key for him to rule that world and fulfill his destiny. But why would Monzaemon share so much information with him? Although he had never met the former priest personally before that day, the toy's reputation was enough to make anyone wary.

"What's you part in this?" The vampire asked. "Do you suggest that we should share that godly power?"

"I have no interest in acquiring more power for myself." The toy's voice was strangely melancholic. He turned his back to the vampire and returned to examine the bookshelf. "You don't have 'The good King's tale,' do you?" Monzaemon changed the subject. "Fun fact: the author wasn't French, as it's believed. She was actually swi-"

"What's your part in this deal?!" Vamdemon had run out of patience. "Answer me at once!"

"I want to go to the human world, obviously." The toy said in low voice.

"Why?" Vamdemon questioned.

"During my confinement, there was one thought that comforted me." Monzaemon once again sounded melancholic. "What I would do if I had the chance… well, I have unfinished business I must attend to."

"Unfinished business?" Vamdemon was not understanding.

Monzaemon was silent for a few minutes. He stared at the bookshelf, motionless. Then, slowly, he turned around to look at the vampire. Vamdemon took a step back, disturbed by the toy's expression. Monzaemon's grin was so large that it made his face seem distorted.

"There's someone I want to see again." The toy told him. "A certain girl."

 **Thank you for reviewing. This chapter marks the start of the third arc. The song fragment and the title of the chapter come from the song "Para não dizer que não falei das flores" by Geraldo Vandré. The translation of the fragment is: "Come, let's go, to wait is not to know. Who knows makes the hour, doesn't wait for it to happen."**


	26. Takenouchi reunion

The young boy was running on a green field. Heavy and dark clouds covered the sky.

"You know that you're not supposed to be outside when there's a storm coming!" He yelled. "Come on! Let's go back home!"

There was no sign of her. He was getting frustrated.

"I'm over here, Haru-nii!" Her voice called him from the top of a close hill.

"Call me 'Onii-san' or 'Haruhiko-onii-san'!" The boy scolded, going up the hill. "Can't you ever be a cute little sister?"

Up there, he did not find a little girl. An adult woman wearing a pure white bridal kimono was waiting for him. He looked to his own body and saw that he too was now an adult, wearing a formal kimono.

The one that his wife had picked for him to attend to his sister's wedding.

"Toshiko-san would get mad if she heard you suggesting that I'm not cute." The woman chuckled. "She was the one who chose my attire and took care of my hair, nails and make-up. Going so far for her sister-in-law… imagine what she would do if it was Sora's wedding instead."

Haruhiko could not bear to look at her. Instead, he paid attention to the grass under his feet.

"Toshiko-san had to do that." He murmured. "If it was up to you, you would've married wearing your lab coat."

"I wore that in the honey-moon." She joked. The man looked up to tell her that joke was not funny, like he always did when she said things like that. He found her calmly gazing at him.

"You're a dream." He said, feeling his eyes getting wet. "You're not really here… you haven't been here for a long time."

"It's true that you're sleeping now. I guess that makes this a dream." She pondered. "But tell me, Anthropology Professor, how many cultures exist that believe to be possible for the deceased to communicate with the living through dreams?"

"Do you want me to believe it's really you?" He inquired, beginning to cry. "My sister wouldn't talk to me with kindness w-when I…" He sobbed, "… I couldn't… I didn't…"

"The only people hurt by your absence are Toshiko-san and Sora." The woman told him. "I don't hold any of that against you, Haru-nii."

"I was a c-coward…" He cried. "I ran away… it hurt so much… everything just h-hurt so much…"

"Enough with your self-deprecation." She spoke in a severe tone. "You can't afford to stay inert anymore. They need you."

"They…?" Haruhiko asked in a weak voice.

"Your family." She clarified. "A great danger is approaching them. Beware the snow."

"Since when do you have a problem with snow?" He inquired. "You married a man called-"

"Your family needs you, Haru-nii!" The woman insisted. The sound of thunder came from above them. "Go to them!"

Lightning bolts began to strike the ground around her. Strings of her hair were starting to get up.

"Go to them!" She ordered one last time. "Now!"

Haruhiko woke up, finding himself on his old arm-chair. He looked around to locate himself. The man had spent the night in his private office in the University of Kyoto.

The cold sensation caught his attention first, making him wonder if the air-conditioner was on. The Professor stood up and went to the large glass window at his right, being careful to avoid the piles of books spread on the floor. When he was able to take a better look outside, Haruhiko felt as if the ground was about to open itself and devour him.

"Professor Takenouchi!" Someone called while knocking on the door. "It's me, Kido Shuu! Excuse me, I'm entering!"

The student made his way into the Professor's office. He found the older man with his back turned to the door, standing in front of the window, staring at the snowflakes falling outside.

"Strange how it began to snow out of nowhere." Shuu commented, approaching the other. "Professor, I've had ideas about the new research trip we have been discussing!" He added, enthusiastically. "I think you're going to like it!"

"I'm sorry, Kido-kun." Haruhiko spoke, darkly. "That summer project will have to wait."

"Huh?" Shuu was confused. "Did something happen?"

The Professor did not look away from the falling snow.

"I need to go to Tokyo." He said.

 **Chapter 26: Takenouchi reunion**

During the trip, most of the children picked warm blouses and jackets to better protect themselves from the cold out of their baggage. Jyou was already wearing a vest over his shirt and felt no need to add another piece of cloth. Sora had an orange sweater that her mother had insisted she bring along, in case the camp nights were chilly. Takeru put on a yellow jacket. Mimi had a light green coat with leaf drawings. Koushiro had brought a white jacket, which made Mimi joke that he was going to blend with the snow. Taichi put on a jeans jacket and Yamato decided not to wear anything extra. The digimon were wrapped in shirts (with the excuse that the snow would damage the _toys_ ), although Palmon, due to her bigger size, had to wear a thick pink blouse Mimi had brought.

Once they arrived in Odaiba, Sora, Taichi, Koushiro and Jyou stood up; they were getting off at the first stop. Before stepping out of the bus, Sora, Koushiro and Jyou had exchanged phone numbers among themselves and with Mimi and Takeru, by Mimi' suggestion. The younger girl had not made it clear if her motivation was to enable them to contact each other in case of emergency or if Mimi just did not want to lose contact with them. Takeru, still sitting next to his brother, gave Sora and the others both the numbers of his mother's house and of his father's and said that, because of the snow, he would probably stay in Odaiba longer than expected. Yamato did not take his eyes from the redhead girl and Takeru during their conversation.

"It seems that you'll have more time to spend with your little brother, Yamato-kun. I'm happy for both of you." She said, with her backpack on the shoulders and Pyokomon (wrapped in a red shirt) in her arms.

"Yeah…" Yamato muttered, looking to the window at his side.

"Don't say just that to Sora-san, Onii-chan." Takeru reprehended him.

Yamato had an uncomfortable look on his face.

"It's alright, Takeru-kun." She assured the little boy. "Your brother and I don't know each other very well-"

"Thank you for taking care of him." Yamato said suddenly, turning to her and gazing into her eyes. "I appreciate what you did for Takeru…" He added, in lower voice, "… Sora."

He turned to the window again, scratching his head. Sora had the impression that his cheeks were slightly pink. _Yamato-kun really is awkward around people_ , she thought, a little amused.

Taichi, Jyou and Koushiro left the bus together with Sora. Their buildings were close to each other. The two chosen boys were also carrying their partners as if they were stuffed animals. Motimon was enveloped by a purple shirt and Pukamon by a gray one.

"Would you like it if I went with you to your home?" Taichi asked the girl.

"No, it's okay." Sora replied. "I need to think about what I'm going to tell my mother."

"About Pyokomon?" Taichi inquired.

"Ehrm… Taichi-san." Koushiro called before the girl could reply. "I noticed that your sister didn't come to the camp. Did something happen?"

"She wasn't feeling well…" Taichi paled when he answered the question. "It's probably just a light cold but I should go check on her."

"I'm sure that Hikari-chan is okay." Sora tried to cheer her friend up. "And I bet she's going to be super happy to see that her brother arrived earlier."

"You're right!" Taichi grinned. "I'm going now, then. We'll talk later, okay?"

"Okay!" Both Sora and Koushiro replied. The redheads exchanged a quick glance, smiling at each other.

"With this sudden snow, there are likely many people getting hurt or ill." Jyou commented after Taichi had left. "My mother is probably going to stay all day in the ambulance."

"She's a paramedic, right?" Koushiro asked.

"Yes." Jyou confirmed in a proud tone of voice. "She told us that she had met our father during work. She brought a patient to the hospital and he, an inexperienced doctor, was the only one available. My mother had to give him an encouraging scolding to make him get on with the action. Father said that he fell for her immediately."

"That's cute." Sora giggled. "My parents met in Kyoto, when my father was doing a research about Ikebana. She moved to Tokyo not long after that and they started seeing each other." The girl told them, with an almost unnoticeable smile. "Then he had to move to Kyoto for a new job."

"I've never been to Kyoto." Jyou said. "Is it beautiful there?"

"I've never been there myself." Sora replied. "Whenever my Mom made plans for us to go there, Dad said that he was too busy or that he had to make a research trip to another place." The girl frowned. "He doesn't come to Tokyo regularly… last time was almost two years ago. The times he came, he only spent a few days and left earlier than expected. He's really busy…"

"I'm sorry, Sora." Pyokomon sounded upset.

"It must be difficult for you." Jyou spoke with sorrow.

"Is it too lonely?" Pukamon asked.

Koushiro and Motimon remained silent. The younger boy was looking at her with a heartbroken expression.

"It's been like that my whole life." Sora sighed. "Their marriage works despite them seeing each other so little. It's not like they're divorced, like Takeru-kun's parents. It's not so bad…"

The girl could tell that she had made her friends sad for her and did not like that.

"What about your parents, Koushiro-kun?" She turned to the fourth-grader boy, with a smile. "They seem like a lovely couple."

"My parents…?" Koushiro asked, frowning.

 _Is he thinking about his biological ones?_ Motimon wondered, remembering how Fate had used their images to torment his friend.

"The parents you have now. We understand that you don't know a lot about the other ones." Pukamon said.

"You don't have to answer that if you don't want to." Jyou tried to make the other boy feel at ease.

"It's okay." Koushiro assured the sixth-grader. "My parents grew up in a small town in the North. They've known each other since they were kids."

"Childhood sweethearts?" Jyou grinned. "It must be so nice to know your soul mate while you're still young."

"You're a romantic, Jyou?" Pukamon was surprised.

"Of course I am!" The sixth-grader affirmed. "Anyway," Jyou continued, "I need to go to the market and buy something to cook. Nobody was expecting me, so I don't know if there's food in my home."

"Do you want me to take your backpack-?" Koushiro began.

"Don't worry, it's not as heavy as the emergency supplies bag I was carrying in-" Jyou suddenly paled. "I didn't take Tamaki-san's snacks out before returning that bag, did I?"

"It's too late to worry about that." Pyokomon pointed out.

The children had sorrowful expressions. What had happened to those adults was still too fresh in their memories.

Motimon looked up to the boy who was holding him, with preoccupation. Koushiro was looking in the direction of the snow below them. In the fourth-grader's face there was only a blank expression.

"We should get going." Sora suggested. The others agreed and they said good-bye to one another.

She walked in silence for some minutes, until her partner talked again.

"Hey, Sora…" Pyokomon called her friend, in low voice. "Do you think your mother is going to like me?"

"You look like a flower; that should help." Sora smirked. "But you have to keep on pretending to be a toy until I explain everything to her, okay?"

"Alright!" Pyokomon agreed.

When they arrived at Sora's front door, the girl hesitated before touching the knob. She had to close her eyes and take a deep breath before doing it.

"Mom, I'm home!" She announced, entering her house.

"Was the camp canceled?" Toshiko asked, from the living room. "You must be cold. Hurry up and take a warm bath."

Sora put Pyokomon on the floor and then did the same with her backpack. Next, she slipped out of her snickers and put on the home sandals at the entrance. After that, the girl picked her partner up, took the red shirt from the digimon (placing it over the backpack), and walked slowly to the living room, with Pyokomon in the arms. There, she found her mother kneeling on the floor. The woman was wearing a magenta kimono and was tending to a flower arrangement. Toshiko's movements were few and precise; her serious eyes looked solely at the art piece in front of her.

The image of the flower dolls from the dark orb flashed before Sora's eyes. Goosebumps ran through her body.

"Sora?" Pyokomon called her in a whisper. The little digimon looked up to the girl with concerned eyes.

"It's okay." Sora told herself, closing her eyes and reopening them a little after. That nightmare was already over.

"Mom…" The girl's voice was weaker than intended. "I want to talk to you."

"I'm busy right now." Toshiko replied, without taking her eye off of her work.

"It's important." Sora insisted. "It's something we should've talked about already."

"Sora, please, don't break my concentration." Toshiko's tone became more severe.

Unconsciously, the girl held her partner with more force. _She doesn't even want to look at me!_ Sora thought. _I just said it was important and she's still shutting me off! Why did I think it was going to be different? She doesn't care! She never… I was just fooling myself!_

"HEY, SORA'S MOM!" Pyokomon shouted, suddenly. "LISTEN TO WHAT SORA HAS TO SAY!"

Pyokomon's angry outburst was not an outcome Sora had considered as a possibility for her first exchange with her mother after coming back from the Digital World. Neither was it to see Toshiko's perplexed expression and trembling hands at each side of the flower arrangement.

"I had asked you one thing, Pyokomon!" Sora scolded in low voice, glancing down at her partner.

"I couldn't keep quiet while she was hurting your feelings!" Pyokomon protested in loud voice.

"S-She wasn't-" Sora tried to deny.

"You began to squeeze me!" Pyokomon interrupted. "Your arms are trembling! And you look like you could start crying at any moment!"

"I-I'm…" Sora could not think on a comeback. Was she really that obvious? She did not think she was. Pyokomon had come to know her well enough to be able to tell when she was distressed. _What am I doing trying to lie to her?_ The girl asked herself. _I had decided not to lie to the people I cared about again!_

"Sora…" Toshiko had approached her daughter without the girl noticing; the woman was looking at the digimon with wide open eyes.

"She's my friend!" Sora informed. "Pyokomon protected me and took care of me! And what she said to you… she said that because she likes me a lot!"

"I love you, Sora!" Pyokomon corrected. "I said that because I love you!"

"Yeah…" The girl blushed as a little smile appeared in her lips and she glanced down at her partner. "She loves me! And I…" Sora gulped, looking up at her mother, who was still fixated on the digimon. "I love Pyokomon too!"

Pyokomon stared at her partner with tear-brimmed eyes. That had been the first time she had heard Sora saying that.

As those words left her mouth, Sora felt stronger and braver than ever. Her previous concerns, so overwhelming before, felt as if they were melting down.

Toshiko put her hands over Sora's and looked into her daughter's eyes. The girl sustained the look, despite being worried about what the woman was going to say. _Will she reject Pyokomon? Does she think she's dangerous? Does she want Pyokomon to go away? I'm not going to allow that! I'm going to protect my partner, no matter what!_

"What happened to your hands, Sora?" Toshiko asked, alarmed. "Why are they bandaged? How did you get hurt? Why didn't you tell me immediately that you were hurt?"

Sora watched in astonishment as Toshiko ran to the corridor and later returned with a first aid kit.

"Now, Sora, sit down and let me take a look at your hands." Toshiko commanded. "You can put your…" The woman pointed at the digimon, showing an unsure expression.

"I'm Pyokomon." Sora's partner introduced herself, seemingly as taken aback as the human girl.

"You can put Pyokomon-san on a pillow." Toshiko added. "You can explain her and everything else while I take care of your hands."

"You're worried about me." Sora said, feeling a grin making its way to her face and hot tears accumulating in her eyes. "You really… love me…?"

"What are you asking?" Toshiko paled intensely. "Of course I love you!" She stated. "You're my daughter, Sora! I love you above everyone and everything! There's nothing in the world I treasure more than you!"

The tears burst out of Sora's eyes. The girl felt her knees getting weak. Luckily, Toshiko embraced her just in time.

"What is this about, Sora?" The woman asked, caressing her daughter's head. "You already knew that, didn't you? How could you not know that?"

"I had c-convinced m-myself that you didn't…" The girl sobbed. "I had convinced myself t-that you were ashamed of me… b-because I didn't like the I-Ikebana…"

"I would never be ashamed of you! Don't be silly!" Toshiko put more force into the embrace. "I had no idea you felt like that… I thought you were just being rebellious because you didn't like me… because I'm too s-strict…" The woman's voice broke. "I never thought that I was hurting you… all this time, Sora… how could I…? H-How could I not notice…?"

"Neither of us reads minds." The girl managed to say, slowly relaxing her grip on Pyokomon, who was now between the two humans. "We should've communicated better. We should've been more honest with our f-feelings."

"I wanted you to think I was strong…" Toshiko let the girl know. "I thought I would make you feel safe if I acted that way… I'd make you feel protected… I'm so sorry, Sora. I-I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay, Mom." Sora told her. The girl's tears soaked her large smile. "I forgive you."

Pyokomon's body began to get hot, which made Toshiko break the embrace and Sora let go of her partner while taking a step back. The digivice stuck to her belt felt like it was about to catch fire.

"Pyokomon evolves to… PIYOMON!"

The bird digimon landed gracefully on the floor. Her blue eyes were filled with tears.

"I'm so happy for you, Sora!" The digimon said, cheerfully, as she jumped on her partner and hugged her. "I could feel love bursting out of you!"

"I felt it too." Sora admitted, hugging her back.

"The flower… became a bird…" Toshiko was clearly disturbed.

"We have a lot to talk, Mom." Sora smirked.

Toshiko undid her bandages while Sora told her everything that had happened ever since she had gone to the camp. The woman froze when the girl mentioned Koushiro, explaining then that Sora had never mentioned another soccer club kid that was not Taichi. For Sora, it was strange to remember the time when the redhead boy was not one of her closest friends.

When it got to the part about the orb, Sora had new bandages on and Toshiko was looking at her face. The girl hesitated in many moments but found the courage to tell every detail about the nightmare, commenting on how talking to Koushiro had helped her. After she ended the story, Toshiko pulled her to a new hug and assured that everything would be okay now. Piyomon hugged them both and promised that she would keep taking care of Sora forever, which made Toshiko formally thank 'Piyomon-san,' by bowing in front of her. The digimon blushed and awkwardly asked Sora to tell her mother that she did not have to do that, but all the human girl could do was laugh at the situation.

Everything felt so good, so right, that Sora believed that she could not be happier.

Not long after that, the apartment's door was opened and that man entered. He had never announced himself before coming in during all the time Sora could remember; that was still the case.

"Haruhiko-san?!" Toshiko stood up quickly, staring in surprise at her husband, who had just entered the living room, carrying only a suitcase and wearing a black coat covered with some snowflakes. "W-What are you doing here? I wasn't expecting you!"

"I tried to call but the telephones were crazy. Sorry for appearing like this, Toshiko-san." He said, putting the suitcase on the floor and opening his arms to hug his wife. "I decided to use some of my built up vacation time."

"You're going to spend the summer with us, Dad?" Sora asked, jumping to her feet. "You never spent the summer with us… you always had something else to do…"

"Sora-chan!" Haruhiko smiled at his daughter, letting go of his wife to hug the child. "I thought you were in a summer camp. It's fortunate that you're home!" His embrace became stronger and Sora felt the man burying his face on her shoulder. "You're okay, aren't you? You seem to be…"

"Is that your father, Sora?" Piyomon asked, beside the girl. That was the moment when Haruhiko noticed the presence of the creature.

"Yokai!?" He questioned in a marveled tone of voice, letting go of Sora and getting a closer look at Piyomon. "A real yokai!? In my home!?"

"She's a digimon, not a yokai." Sora corrected. "Her name is Piyomon, she's my friend."

"Digimon?" Haruhiko was intrigued. "Are you like a house spirit? Maybe a Zashiki-Warashi? Wait, they're supposed to resemble children… not that I had ever seen one before!" He laughed to himself. "Are you perhaps a Basan? Do you breathe fire?"

"I have fire attacks." Piyomon replied. "I used them to protect Sora in the Digital World."

"Protect Sora in the Digital World…?" Haruhiko paled, looking at his daughter. "What does that mean?"

"It's hard to believe, Dad." Sora began. "But I was sucked by a portal with four other children and taken to another world, where the digimon – creatures like Piyomon – lived. I can give Piyomon the power to evolve with this small machine." She showed him the digivice. "She has fought for me and protected me. I also tried to protect her but…" Sora glanced down at her hands. "What matters is that I'm safe and back home thanks to Piyomon and my other friends."

"Another world filled with spirits… another realm…" Haruhiko muttered with a grave expression.

"She's not a spirit, Haruhiko-san!" Toshiko sounded strangely alarmed.

"I didn't die and return as a spirit, Dad." Sora laughed. "Sorry I can't tell you about the Spirit Realm."

"Don't joke like that!" Haruhiko reprehended his daughter. "Never joke about that! It's not funny!"

Not used to seeing her father get angry, Sora took a step back, startled.

Noticing the scared and hurt expression his daughter had, Haruhiko was overtaken by shame. _What have I done? I shouldn't have talked to her like that!_

"I'm sorry…" He murmured, looking down. "I didn't want to… I'm really sorry…"

"Dad?" Sora called him, worried at how his face was getting paler and his eyes wetter. "I'm sorry for upsetting you. I thought it was an innocent joke, I…" Her sight was getting blurred. "I never meant to…"

"Sora, how about you show your bedroom to Piyomon-san?" Toshiko suggested.

Sora nodded, silently, and conducted Piyomon to her room. There, the bird saw a soccer ball in a corner. Sora's futon was kept inside the wardrobe, so the only other mobile objects in there were a desk and a chair. Above the desk there were books from school and folklore books her father had presented her. He only brought them when he came to Tokyo, which meant that Sora received three or four books in a single visit, corresponded to the birthdays and Christmas he had missed. Haruhiko had always been enthusiastic to explain why he had picked those books and how interesting they were. The smile he showed her in those moments was his most beautiful one.

Sora looked around, admiring how her bedroom was warm and full of light. She pondered about opening her wardrobe to make sure there was no mirror there but shrugged the thought off. The girl remembered about the hairclip she had thrown away long ago. Was it still in that room or did Toshiko keep it? Was the woman, perhaps, waiting for the day when her daughter learned to see beauty in fire? _She knows about that now_. The girl remarked to herself. _Fire really is incredible._ Sora thought, glancing at Piyomon.

"Your parents are a little strange, Sora." Piyomon commented, getting close to the desk and looking at the books with curiosity.

"Because they live in different towns?" Sora inquired.

"They are very surprising people." Piyomon said, turning back to Sora. "Their moods can change suddenly, without you expecting."

Sora knew that her mother was most of the time well-composed. She would not say that Toshiko had mood swings. Unless, of course, specific things happened. For instance, in the first days following Haruhiko' return to Kyoto, after a visit, the woman would become quieter and have a constant sad expression; those were the times when she would get irritated more easily. Right before and during his visits, Toshiko smiled constantly. Haruhiko, on the other hand, was more inconstant with his emotions. Most of the time, he was patient, gentle and enthusiastic about his interests. However, there were occasions when he got sad with no explanation; a couple of times, Sora believed she had heard him crying in the couple's bedroom, while Toshiko told him everything was okay.

Despite being her father, Haruhiko was a mystery to Sora. He had never mentioned other relatives, which made the girl think that her mother and she were his only family. She also did not understand why he had to move to Kyoto. All the explanation she had ever received was that he needed to get that job and that he could not pass on it. While the man was away, it was easy for Sora to include him in the anger she felt towards her mother. She was sure that things would have been better for them if her father lived with his family. However, although she was able to have arguments with Toshiko, with Haruhiko things were more complicated.

He was not a person who would respond with anger when someone shouted at him and demanded things from him. Haruhiko's reaction was usually to stay quiet and sustain a mortified expression, as if he was about to be devoured by his guilt. While Toshiko was almost always unshakeable and fierce, as if she was a stronghold, Haruhiko gave off an air of fragility. As Sora grew up, she noticed that more and more.

"They're both hard to understand." Sora murmured. "Dad is even worse than Mom in that regard. I don't understand him very well."

"You can ask him what you want to know." Piyomon pointed out.

"He's going to be sad if I do that." Sora replied. "Sometimes he gets sad over random things and never explains why he's like that. When he comes to Tokyo, he doesn't even like to leave the apartment. It's almost like he hates being here…" The girl added, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Then, why don't you and your mother live with him in Kyoto?" Piyomon asked. "Didn't she live there before?"

"Mom had already established herself in Tokyo." Sora explained. "She has her Ikebana students here. She's the Iemoto, the Grand Master of her school. It wouldn't be fair for her to rearrange her whole life because Dad decided to move to a different city."

Piyomon had now a lighter expression on her face.

"What?" Sora asked. "Did I say something funny?"

"It's nice to see you taking your mother's side." Piyomon said.

Sora felt blood rush to her face.

"It's not a matter of taking sides." She explained. "As far as I know, those two never had disagreements about the matter… I don't think I ever heard them arguing over anything…"

"Is that a good thing, Sora?" Piyomon had a serious tone.

"I don't know…" Sora replied. During her first night in the Digital World, she had told Takeru that arguments forced people to open their hearts and to understand each other better. People could get closer after an honest fight. She knew that her ties with Jyou, Takeru, Mimi, Koushiro and Piyomon would never have become strong and developed into beautiful friendships if they had not have disagreements. Sora had been proved by her own experience how harmful it was to hide her true emotions from others.

Did her father understand how his absence affected Toshiko and Sora? Did her mother know why Haruhiko did not want to stay with them? What did they talk about when they were alone? In front of Sora, the two adults either talked about their jobs, about the girl or unimportant things. Were they different when their daughter was not around?

Toshiko and Haruhiko were talking alone in that exact moment. The answer for one of Sora's greatest inquires was right at her reach.

"Piyomon, wait for me here for a moment, okay?" Sora told her partner, heading to the door.

"Where are you going?" Piyomon asked.

"I want to know." Sora said, staring at the knob. "I feel like they don't tell me anything important… like they're hiding things from me."

"Then go ask them." The digimon urged.

"It's not like I haven't tried that before!" Sora slightly raised her voice. "But they never told me what I wanted to know… one of us would get angry or sad at the other… even now Mom sent me to my bedroom to talk to him alone. As if I don't deserve to understand my own family!"

"So you were going to eavesdrop on them?" Piyomon was surprised.

"Would that be wrong?" Sora asked, looking at her partner. "They're hiding things from me! They keep me in the dark!"

"Weren't you upset when Koushiro saw your memory?" The bird inquired.

"I was upset…" Sora admitted. "I was terrified of people seeing my true self. But trying to keep secrets just made everything worse for everybody, including myself."

Sora remembered how burdened and guilty she felt while trying to conceal her problems. Her fear of revealing herself made her friends worried, made them feel inadequate, hurt them in so many ways. Where would they all be now if it was not for that accidental privacy violation?

"I'm at a better place now." The girl affirmed. "I'm more open, more willing to trust and to forgive." She smiled. "I was upset when that happened but in the end that was a good thing. In the end, things got better!"

"Then, you think things will get better if you spy on your parents now?" The digimon asked.

"Even if they find me out and get upset, at least they'll have to talk to me. They will have to tell me something!" Sora concluded, smiling.

"If that's your decision, go ahead, Sora." Piyomon supported the girl.

Without uttering another word, Sora crossed the bedroom's door and slowly walked to the edge of the corridor, keeping herself hidden from the people in the living room. There, she was able to listen to their talk.

Unaware of the girl, Toshiko and Haruhiko continued their conversation.

"I've read reports about people said to have prophetic dreams." Haruhiko informed.

"You talk as if you're trying to justify something to me, Haruhiko-san." Toshiko commented.

"I know that what I told you is hard to believe." The man acknowledged. "Any reasonable person would think it was just a dream and don't do anything about it. But she warned me about incoming danger and snow! And, suddenly, it began to snow! In summer! That can't be a coincidence!"

"It's strange to have snow during summer." Toshiko agreed. "But it's not strange to relate Ame-san to snow. You said it yourself that she was wearing the bridal kimono."

 _Ame-san?_ Sora repeated that name in her mind. _Who's that person? And what is this about snow and danger?_

"It was her, Toshiko-san." Haruhiko insisted. "It was not like the other dreams! She was there! She talked to me!"

"Other dreams?" Toshiko sounded concerned. "Have you been dreaming about her in Kyoto as well? You said it only happened when you came to Tokyo!"

"I…" He hesitated. "It wasn't a big deal… it was not worth-"

"All this time you've been telling me that you're in peace in Kyoto." The woman's tone of voice became lower. "You always said that it was hard for you to come here because you were constantly reminded of Ame-san. But in Kyoto as well-"

"It gets worse in Tokyo." Haruhiko stated. "In Kyoto… it's less bad. I can function better there. I can work there and everything is fine."

"You're lying to me…"

"I'm not lying, Toshiko-san, I swear!"

"You're not getting better… you're not recovering, are you? I thought you were going to get better away from here… are you just suffering by yourself there?"

 _Recovering? Suffering?_ Sora was confused. _Is Dad sick?_

"I'm not suffering in the slightest!" Haruhiko forced a laugh. "Everything is great there! I'm doing great! The way things are now is excellent! I can tell that you've been doing great by yourself too, right? You and Sora seem to be so well by yourselves."

"We weren't…" Toshiko muttered. "We had misunderstandings… I… I m-made Sora feel…"

 _Is Mom sad?_ Sora felt her heart become heavier.

"M-Misunderstandings happen, Toshiko-san!" Haruhiko sounded like he was trying to comfort his wife. "I saw you two getting along. You worked things out in the end, isn't that great? You're fantastic, Toshiko-san!"

"Stop it…"

"You're so strong… the strongest person I know. You can overcome anything!"

"That's not true!" Toshiko cried. "I'm not as strong as you think!"

 _Don't talk like that, Mom_. Sora pleaded in thought, feeling the tears coming to her eyes.

"Toshiko-san…"

"I don't know what to do most of the time…" The woman confessed. "I'm scared constantly… but I have to keep it together. I've been trying to present myself as stronger than I actually am because I wanted Sora to feel safe, believing there was a trustworthy adult looking after her. The only way I knew how to build that image was to bury my fears and anxieties as deeply as I could… but it was all pointless. I didn't make Sora feel protected! I made her feel misunderstood and unloved! I'm awful… I'm awful at this… I can't do this alone, Haruhiko-san…"

"P-Please, don't cry, my love!" The man sounded as if he was crying as well. "You're not awful! You're not guilty of anything! It's my fault! It has always been my fault! I ran away from you! I left my family behind because I couldn't deal with my own heartbreak! I'm the worst! The worst husband… the worst father… the worst brother… the worst… the worst…"

"Our way to deal with things didn't work, Haruhiko-san." Toshiko said. "If things stay like this, we'll just continue to hurt one another… and Sora is the one to suffer the most. I think it's time, my dear."

 _Time for what?_ Sora was fearful of the answer. _Are they talking about getting a divorce? But… but they love each other, don't they? They can't… they can't do that…_

"I'm fine, Toshiko-san."Haruhiko stated.

"You talked to your dead sister in a dream!"

 _Dead sister…?_ That information shocked Sora. _Dad had a sister? Why have I never heard about her?_

"I'm not losing my mind!" He raised his voice.

"You were so scared by a dream that you ran all the way to Tokyo with nothing but a suitcase." Toshiko reminded him. "And you said that Ame-san told you to come home because your family needed you."

"Ame appeared to me in a dream!" Haruhiko stated. "I'm not… that wasn't my mind…! It was really her!"

"Even if she did talk to you, what if the danger she alerted you about is not what you think it is?" The woman inquired. "What if that was her way to tell you to look for help?"

"I don't need help!" He interjected. "I'm fine! Why don't you believe me?"

"It's been almost ten years and you still can't find peace. How can that be considered 'being fine'?" Toshiko spoke in a heartbroken tone of voice. Haruhiko did not say anything else.

Trembling from head to toes and having her face washed by tears, Sora was trying to make sense of the conversation. Suddenly, Piyomon called her.

"SORA!" The digimon shouted. "COME HERE QUICKLY!"

The first step was the hardest. She did it, supporting her weight against the wall. Sora wiped the tears with the back of her left hand before entering her bedroom. Her partner was looking outside the open window.

"Sora! He's here! I just saw him!" Piyomon told her. When the digimon turned her face to her partner, her eyes got wide.

"What happened to you, Sora?" The bird asked, approaching her.

"I still need to organize my thoughts…" Sora murmured. "Who did you see?"

Piyomon did not react immediately to the question, still looking at her friend with deep concern.

"Who did you see, Piyomon?" Sora asked again.

"Ah!" The digimon interjected. "Picodevimon! I just saw him entering an alley!"

"Picodevimon?" Sora found that hard to believe. "Are you sure you weren't just seeing things? How would a Picodevimon-?"

"It's not any Picodevimon!" Piyomon interrupted. "It's the one we met! The one who tried to kill you! I would recognize him any-"

The digimon suddenly stopped talking, staring at something behind the girl. Sora turned around and found her father standing at the other side of the open door. His skin was pale and sweaty, his eyebrows were raised and his pupils contracted.

"Dad?" Sora called him, gently. The disturbed look on his face worried her.

"Another creature…?" He asked, almost inaudibly.

"Yes!" Piyomon confirmed. "In the alley across the street!"

"Piyomon probably got confused. It's hard to see things clearly in the snow." Sora dismissed.

"Sora!" Piyomon sounded hurt.

"I didn't mean to upset you, sorry." The girl apologized. "We can go check the alley, if it'll make you feel better."

"There's no need for that." Haruhiko said. "You shouldn't go out in the cold because of something you're not even sure is there."

"It has stopped snowing." Sora commented, glancing at the window. "It wouldn't hurt to check."

"Daughter, please." Haruhiko approached her and landed a hand on her right shoulder. "You've had quite an adventure today. You should rest."

 _It wasn't just one day for me_ , Sora thought, wondering how she would tell her father what had happened to her. Did he have to know the details? Wouldn't he be more troubled if he knew through how much danger she had been?

"Dad…" Sora opened her mouth without thinking. She examined the man's face with attention; he had a tiny smile on the closed lips and half open eyes. Despite his serene expression, something felt off in him. Maybe there was nothing different. Perhaps Sora had just begun seeing him with different eyes. Now that she knew about the great sadness he carried, she could not stop seeing traces of it, like the minuscule spasms on his cheeks and around his eyes.

Her father had lost his sister and he was still suffering from that. He was in so much pain that he could not stand to be in Tokyo for too long. Sora remembered being told about how Otae had been so devastated after her brother's death that she had to distance herself from her friends. What if that was what her father had been doing? What if it was as painful to him to interact with her and Toshiko as it was to return to Tokyo? Nevertheless, he still visited them. Haruhiko hid his agony behind warm smiles just so he could make his family happy. But he could not accomplish even that. Toshiko was left miserable, trying to be strong for her loved ones while crumbling inside. Their daughter did not know anything about it and passed judgment on them. Sora got angry at them so many times, without knowing… without understanding a single thing about them!

"Sora-chan, what's wrong?" He asked, alarmed.

"Sora, why are you crying?" Piyomon questioned, nervously.

"I'm sorry… I'm so s-sorry…" Sora whispered as many tears left her eyes at once. She did not know what else to say. Everything was too complicated. How could she think that she would understand things better by eavesdropping? How could she think things would get better if she knew? The truth was overwhelming and changed everything she thought to know about her family. Things could not get better, no matter what she did. Her father had lost someone that would never come back. There was nothing to do about it. She was powerless to change anything.

"Sora-chan, it's okay." Haruhiko told her, pulling the girl to a hug. "It's going to be alright! You're home now! You're safe! I promise nothing bad will ever happen to you!"

Sora cried quietly, unable to say anything else. After a couple of minutes, Haruhiko let go of her and kissed her forehead, before leaving the room.

The girl sat on the floor and Piyomon wrapped her in a warm hug.

Sora tried to speak but it was too hard.

"You don't need to force yourself to talk right now." The digimon said. "It's okay to just cry."

"It h-hurts so much…" The child sobbed, hiding her face in her friend's plumage. "It hurts… it hurts…"

They stayed like that for a couple of minutes, until Piyomon reminded the girl of who she had seen in the alley.

* * *

Toshiko had been waiting in the living room ever since her husband went to check why Piyomon was shouting. When he returned, she walked straight to him.

"Is everything okay with Sora?" She asked. "Did something happen? I'm going there!"

"She's going to be fine; she just needs space to recover." The man explained.

Toshiko paled.

"Did Sora tell you about the Digital World?" The woman asked, apprehensively.

"She didn't have to." Haruhiko replied. "But it's obvious that she had rough times. Sora-chan needs to cry them out."

"She's crying?!" Toshiko was about to run to her daughter's room but was stopped by her husband, who gently held her right hand.

"Leave her alone, Toshiko-san." He told her.

"I can't leave her alone when she's suffering!" The woman protested.

"People need to be left by themselves sometimes!" Haruhiko stated. "They need space! They need solitude!"

"She needs my help!" Toshiko roared. "She needs to know that I'm here for her! That I'll do anything for her!"

"Sora-chan wouldn't like to know that you're worried!" The man affirmed. "She's going to feel bad about it! Guilty!"

"What do you think you know about her?!" Toshiko shouted. "Where have you been when she needed you? When I needed you?"

Haruhiko let go of her hand and took a step back.

They stared at each other in silence for a couple of minutes. Both their faces were filled with pain.

"Sorry…" Toshiko murmured. "I shouldn't have said… I was insensitive…"

"You didn't say any lie…" Haruhiko whispered. "You should never apologize to me for anything."

"I know that you're trying to comfort me when you say things like that but it doesn't make me feel better." She let him know.

"What can I do to make you feel better, then?"

"You already know the answer for that, Haruhiko-san."

"I'm fine, my love. You have no reason to worry about me."

"Your lies are not protecting us." Toshiko informed. "They're just causing harm to us all."

Without saying anything in reply to that, Haruhiko left the living room, taking the corridor and heading to the apartment's door.

"Where are you going?" She questioned.

"I'm going to protect my family." He promised, opening the door and leaving the apartment.

Toshiko turned around and glanced at the flower arrangement she had been working on earlier, now abandoned in the middle of the living room. She wished she could take care of her loved ones with the same level of skill she had for the Ikebana. Instead, she was forced to watch her family withering, powerless to do anything.

"Mom?"

Sora's timid voice came from the corridor. The woman looked at the girl and noticed that she was wearing a red jacket and a pair of pink gloves. _Did she hear us arguing?_ The mother wondered, looking at the shakiness in her daughter's body. By her side, Piyomon was hidden under a long yellow coat and a huge pink scarf that concealed almost her entire head.

"Your father told me that you were crying." Toshiko said.

"I'm a little better now." Sora told her in low voice. "I'm going to check something with Piyomon, it won't take long."

"You wouldn't lie to me, would you?" The woman asked, suddenly.

Sora blinked, without answering.

"I mean…" Her mother murmured. "If you were troubled, you'd tell me, right? You would let me help you, wouldn't you?"

"Don't burden yourself too much." Sora pleaded.

"It's not a burden to care for you." Toshiko assured. "I'm more relieved when you're honest than when I have to wonder what's going through your mind. When I don't know what's going on, I become frightened… I'm taken over by a feeling of powerlessness…"

"It's not just with me that you feel that, is it?" Sora asked, glancing down. "It's with Dad too… he makes you worry a lot, doesn't he?" The girl gulped. "Because of his sister…"

"You've heard our conversation." Toshiko muttered, looking down as well.

"Sora didn't have any bad intention." Piyomon defended her friend.

"I'm not mad at her." The woman explained. "I've wanted to tell her about Ame-san for years but it's too painful for him… I wanted to protect Haruhiko-san..."

"I know." Sora said. "You've done more than enough for this family. Sorry for not appreciating that before."

"I haven't done enough!" Toshiko protested, looking at her daughter. "If I had, we wouldn't be like this now!"

"Mom!" Sora raised her voice, looking up at her mother. "Please, don't blame yourself! There are things that are out of our control. Besides… just by doing your best you're already a good person! You should take pride in your effort instead of being ashamed!"

The woman stared at her daughter, in a mix of surprise and admiration.

"Did I say something wrong?" Sora questioned, nervous at her mother's silence.

"Not at all." The woman smiled at her. "You've grown a lot, Sora."

The girl blushed.

"There are still many things I don't understand…" Sora had an unhappy tone.

"There will always be things you won't understand." Toshiko told her. "To grow up is not a thing that happens once. You'll keep on growing up for as long as you live."

That statement made Sora feel warm on the inside. She would continue to grow up and change, like all other humans. Then, even if she did not have answers in that moment, it did not mean she would never have them. Things felt less hopeless than before.

"Sora, we need to go." Piyomon urged.

"Right!" Sora had forgotten about Picodevimon. "We'll be back soon, Mom!"

 _I'll be waiting_ , Toshiko thought, watching her daughter and Piyomon leave the apartment.

Sora crossed the deserted street with Piyomon by her side and got to the alley. Even considering the possibility that they would run into Picodevimon, nothing in the world would have prepared the girl for that vision.

Haruhiko was pressing Picodevimon's body against the wall of a building, using his right hand. The man's enraged face was almost unrecognizable.

"Confess what you did!" The father ordered the bat monster. "Confess what you did to her!"

"Dad?!" Sora felt that her knees would give up under her weight at any second. "What are you doing?! Stop!"

"Your father doesn't seem hurt…" Piyomon was astonished. "It's like Picodevimon didn't even try to put up a fight. I don't understand…"

 _Dad heard us talking… he heard that Picodevimon tried to kill me… but to think that he would…_ Sora's whole body was shaking. _Dad wouldn't… he would never hurt a fly! He's the least aggressive person I know! Why is he doing that?_

"Dad, it wasn't his fault!" Sora shouted, slowly approaching the man. "He was scared and confused! He didn't mean to harm me!"

"You're… alive?" Picodevimon said, in shock, rolling one of his eyes to look at Sora. "I thought that the chosen children had died with our army… is that girl alive as well?"

"You're mistaken, Sora." Haruhiko turned his head to his daughter; his lips were trembling, his eyebrows were furrowed and sweat covered his entire face. "I found this guy lurking in the snow, holding some sort of amulet and mumbling about finding something for his master!"

With his left hand, Haruhiko threw a small quadrangular piece of wood attached to a string collar to the girl, who caught it in mid-air. On the wood, there was a drawing of a circle with an arrow inside. The painted arrow moved, pointing at something ahead.

"Master…?" Piyomon felt as if her heart had skipped a beat. "You were working for someone! YOU DID WANT TO KILL SORA!"

The bird monster stripped from her clothes and set flight.

"Sora's father, get out of the way! I'm going to punish him!" Piyomon ordered.

"Confess it!" Haruhiko ignored his daughter's partner, focusing solely on the bat monster. "You wanted to do that! You wanted her to die!"

"I… I d-didn't…" Picodevimon stuttered.

"CONFESS IT!"Haruhiko roared.

"I NEVER WANTED TO HURT ANYONE!" Picodevimon confessed. "I don't like to hurt others! I never did! But Master had ordered me to do so! I had to obey!"

"Why?" Sora inquired. "Why do you have to obey him?"

"Sora, don't believe him!" Piyomon scolded the girl. "He's lying!"

"You were the one who pointed out that he hadn't hurt my father, despite Dad doing all this to him." Sora told Piyomon. "Doesn't that corroborate his statement that he doesn't like to hurt people?"

"But he still hurt you!" Haruhiko affirmed.

"That's right!" Piyomon supported the man. "You're only alive now because of the water from the underground temple! Picodevimon shot to kill you!"

"Following orders!" Sora insisted. "It seems that his master, whoever that is, doesn't know that we're still alive! Then, Picodevimon doesn't have orders to kill us now, right?"

"Do you want to let him escape?" Piyomon inquired. "If you let him go, he'll tell his master and get orders to attack us!"

"Picodevimon wouldn't do that. He'd be in debt with me." Sora explained. "Besides, he would have to explain why he didn't attack us, which could make his master have doubts regarding his loyalty."

"Master can't know that I let you escape…" Picodevimon's voice was filled with panic. "He'll punish me again! I don't want to be punished again!"

"Quiet!" Haruhiko ordered the bat creature. "You are the danger!" The man had a dark tone. "I came here to stop you! To protect my family from you! I understand now!" He looked up, to the sky. "You were talking about this guy, weren't you? You let me know so I could protect Sora, right?"

 _He's talking to Aunt Ame?_ Sora asked herself. She got closer to the man and put herself between him and Picodevimon, holding with both hands his stretched right arm, in which hand the monster was being pinned against the wall.

"Dad, let him go now." Sora commanded, facing her father with determination. "I won't let you hurt him anymore."

"Sora, don't turn your back to Picodevimon!" Piyomon was desperate, not finding an angle from where she could hit the bat without harming the girl or her father.

"I'm doing this to protect you!" Haruhiko protested. "Why don't you understand that I'm doing this for your own good?"

"You're not protecting anyone!" Sora raised her voice. "You're just trying to find meaning in a dream you had!"

Those words pierced Haruhiko and made him numb. Without realizing it, he let go of Picodevimon and stared at his daughter.

In that moment, the bat digimon had the perfect opportunity to shoot Sora in the back. However, the girl was right. He did not have orders to hurt the chosen children and, for as long as Vamdemon did not know about them, he would not have such orders. Maybe in a near future he would have to face them in battle, but for that day he would accept that small victory.

"I won't forget this." Picodevimon mumbled, before setting flight. Piyomon pondered about following him but decided to stay by Sora's side.

Haruhiko kneeled on the snow covered ground. Sora put her hands on each of his shoulders.

"You heard me talking about her…" Haruhiko murmured.

"I'm sorry." Sora whispered. "I don't know a lot and I don't understand it very well… you left us because you missed her, isn't that right?"

"I thought I was going to get better in a place where there wasn't anything that reminded me of her." Haruhiko explained. "I abandoned the University of Tokyo and went to Kyoto. I thought I was going to get better there…"

"Did you get better?" Sora asked.

"No." Haruhiko confessed, looking away. "But if I had told Toshiko-san that, she could want to move to Kyoto and leave her students behind. I couldn't do that to her. I would never forgive myself."

"You could've come back." The girl observed.

"I can't work in Tokyu U anymore… I saw her everywhere I looked…" He began to tremble. "Not only in the University… in the streets, in the shops… she was everywhere… I thought I was going to lose my mind."

"You don't see her in Kyoto?" Sora was curious.

"Only in my dreams… sometimes I think I hear her voice when it rains…" Haruhiko was now staring at the ground. "Even there I can't get close to the Physics Department or any place that has people wearing lab coats. Sometimes the radio plays a song she liked… or someone tells an unfunny joke like the ones she told me… before I noticed it, I was taking every opportunity to travel around the country… not staying too long in the same place and throwing myself into my work."

"Dad…"

"I abandoned you all." Haruhiko stated. "I tried to fix things on my own and failed. I thought the least I could do was to avoid worrying you and make you think that everything was fine with me... but I couldn't even do that." A couple of tears came down from his eyes. "I'm nothing but a disappointment to everybody I ever loved… what must you think of me now?"

"You're my Dad." Sora said, hugging him. "I love you and that's not going to change because I learned about this... I just got to know you better. You don't need to hide yourself from me and from Mom. You don't have to deal with your problems alone!" She felt her eyes getting warm.

"I couldn't get over that sadness by myself." Haruhiko spoke with shame. "I need help, don't I?" His voice nearly broke. "I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough…"

"Needing help is not a sign of weakness!" Sora stated. "Everybody needs help! There's nothing noble about burdening yourself and suffering alone! That just hurts you and the people who love you!"

"I've been hurting Toshiko-san for years…" The man muttered. "And you too… the last thing I wanted was to make you suffer."

"We want to help you." Sora told him. "And if the two of us aren't enough to do that, you can seek help from other people too. People who understand better what you're going through and can help you in a different way that we can. It's good to have people you can count on… people you know will accept you and help you anytime. The more people like that you have, the better it'll be." The girl smiled, thinking about the people she had. "Just, please..." Sora had now a pleading tone, letting the tears flow. "Don't push us away anymore. Just let us in, okay? Please… trust us with your whole self."

Haruhiko did not hug his daughter back. Instead, he gently held her by the arms and made her take a step back. Then, he looked into her eyes and showed her a genuine smile as the tears still streamed down his face.

"I apologize for the way I've been acting." Haruhiko said. "I…" He inhaled. "I won't run anymore."

"Even if you were to run, you can always come back." Sora assured him. "You have nothing to fear."

Piyomon watched Sora helping her father to stand up and was glad to see the serene smile on her face. The digimon was still concerned about Picodevimon but decided not to bring him up again that day. Sora was holding the amulet her father had taken and Picodevimon did not attack her when he had the chance. Maybe the consequences of Sora's actions would surprise Piyomon in a good way.

When they returned to the apartment, Sora and Piyomon were the first ones to enter. The girl greeted her mother and said that everything had gone well but she had to make a phone call. The man was still outside, looking through the open door. The woman approached him.

Toshiko and Haruhiko looked at each other for more than one minute, without uttering any word. _Something changed_ , she thought. He seemed more relaxed and was not forcing his smile.

"I'm home." Haruhiko announced.

Those words were unfamiliar to her, coming from him. Their meaning was immeasurable.

In his eyes, the woman saw a glimpse of a glow the man she loved used to have almost ten years before; a glow determined to fight its way back. She was determined to give all the assistance needed for it.

Toshiko smiled and welcomed her husband back.


	27. Kido boys

For ten years, Kido Shouichiro and Kido Rin had only two sons. Shin was the first child and Shuu was born two years later. The brothers had similar appearances and resembled their father: dark blue hair, black eyes and both needed glasses. The main difference in their looks was that Shin's face was rounder, while Shuu's was slender. Personality wise, Shin was straight-forward and pragmatic, often times coming off as rude and apathetic. Shuu was more sensitive and soften-spoken.

Shin never seemed to be particularly interested in anything. His reasoning for becoming a Doctor was that it was a useful profession to society and he could not think of any better career, not being particularly affected by his father's wishes that his children would continue on his footsteps. Shuu, on the other hand, did not feel compelled to become a doctor. He kept that to himself, afraid that he would disappoint his father. Maybe he just had to get used to the idea and, one day, he would be happy to practice medicine.

The announcement of Rin's third pregnancy had caught the other three members of the family by surprise. Shouichiro was concerned about his wife's health and did everything to guarantee that she would have a safe delivery. Shuu was excited and nervous at the prospect of becoming a big brother. Shin tried to keep on doing what he always did, as if nothing major was happening.

When Jyou was born, Shuu fell in love immediately with the baby and vowed to support him in everything. Shouichiro was enthusiastically imagining the bright future where his three sons would be doctors. Rin pointed out that Jyou could want to be a paramedic and made a small comment about having to wait until one of the siblings got married so she could have a daughter, even if only in law.

Shin did not say anything when he saw Jyou for the first time. The eldest son remained stoic, taking in how small and fragile the baby was. As it happens to down-to-earth people, he soon began to imagine all the things that could harm his youngest brother and became frightened. Therefore, he swore to himself that he would help Jyou to grow up strong and healthy.

As Jyou grew up, both his brothers watched his evolution in different ways. For instance, when the toddler began to walk, Shuu would mush about how his baby sibling was becoming independent and ready to embrace the world, while Shin was the one who had to make sure that Jyou would not put anything dangerous in his mouth or walk through the apartment's door that someone (probably Shuu) used to forget to close.

When he was five years old, Jyou stated for the first time, with shiny eyes, that he wanted to be a doctor. Shouichiro, obviously, was proud. Rin simply told her youngest that he would have to study a lot. The big brothers, however, were concerned.

In Shin's eyes, Jyou was an emotional kid who overreacted to every little problem that came his way. He believed that, as the child was, he did not have the right personality to become a doctor. Because of that, Shin tried to teach Jyou to be stronger and more in control of his emotions. He instructed his brother to remain calm in every situation, to analyze things logically and to ponder things carefully before making a decision.

Shuu, on the other hand, was disheartened that his baby brother was closing all the possibilities for his future in such a young age. He told Jyou to consider other careers, to search for what was right for him instead of simply adhering to the path their father wished. Only a few years later Shuu would understand that he was projecting his personal feelings on the child. The shame brought by that realization would lead him to confess to Shouichiro that his heart sought a different path.

Ever since he had decided to become a doctor, Jyou began to study more intensively than a small child should. Shin was worried that the kid would have a psychological meltdown if he did not take breaks and have distractions, like everybody else. Shuu, despite admiring how serious and hardworking Jyou was, shared the eldest brother's concerns.

Therefore, Shin and Shuu would regularly take breaks from their studies and invite Jyou to have ice cream with them, to play videogames, to go for walks, to have fun. Shouichiro criticized them for being irresponsible with their duties, but the love the big brothers had for Jyou was strong enough to compel them to disobey their father and keep on trying to make the child relax. Rin approved that decision, believing that kids should behave like kids and knowing that Shin and Shuu did not have to burn themselves out studying when they had no problems getting good grades.

However, Jyou did not seem to like to be invited to their activities. Instead of becoming more relaxed, the child was getting progressively stressed. Sometimes, the kid made comments about the older brothers not working as hard as they should. Soon, it began to feel like Jyou was looking for excuses to complain about anything they did.

Shuu was conflicted between being a supportive big brother and calling to Jyou's attention that the child's determination of becoming a doctor was making him miserable. Shin had no doubts about what he should do. His advice and attempts to help Jyou were not getting to the kid. The child was burning himself out more and more with excessive studying and their parents did not seem to acknowledge the dangerous path Jyou was taking. The youngest sibling's mental well being was at stake and Shin had to act.

He came to that decision after being accepted to the medical school he wanted to attend, knowing that he would have to move out.

When the three futons of the siblings were kept inside the wardrobe, there was enough space in the room for three small low tables, one for each brother to study. One day, when both their parents were working and Shuu was away doing a group project to school, Shin kneeled across the low table where Jyou was reading a grammar book and said that they needed to talk. When Jyou put the book down and looked into his big brother's eyes with his tiny ones, Shin remembered the baby that child used to be. Why was it that now Jyou seemed to be even more fragile than as a baby?

"You need to stop working so hard." Shin told him.

"I need to work hard to become a doctor!" Jyou protested.

"I don't dedicate myself to studies as much as you and I still got into a university." Shin pointed out.

Jyou's eyes widened and shone. The child picked the book up, opened it and hid his face behind it.

"Jyou, look at me when I'm talking to you!" Shin scolded him, knowing that he had the responsibility to correct his brother's manners. "You can't be immature like that to someone who only wants the best for you!"

"You don't want me to be a doctor." The child's tone was cold.

"I don't want you to exceed your limits." The big brother corrected.

"Y-You think it's out of my reach, then?" Jyou asked. "You think I'm not smart enough!"

"Don't distort my words!" Shin reprehended, distressed to see that once again Jyou was making up things to be upset about. "You're not going to win anything by playing the victim!"

"I'm not a slacker." The child affirmed. "I'm going to keep on working as hard as I can and become a doctor, even if nobody else believes in me!"

"You don't know what's best for you." Shin said, feeling his heart sink. "You're nothing but a child."

Jyou did not reply to that. Once Shin moved out, he barely came to visit his family and never got to talk to his youngest brother in the phone. Nevertheless, he would always ask his mother about him.

"I found a pamphlet of a summer camp among Jyou's books." Rin told her oldest son during a phone call, years later. "I talked to Shuu through the phone and he was enthusiastic about Jyou attending it. But your father thinks that Jyou should go to a cram school this summer and Jyou agrees. That boy already studies so hard all the time; some fresh air could be good for him. What do you think?"

Shin considered himself to be a logical person who could assess situations with clarity. He knew exactly what he had to respond.

"Make Jyou go to that camp, no matter what."

 **Chapter 27: Kido boys**

When Wizarmon and Tailmon came to the real world, they found themselves at the top of a building. The heavy snow falling from the sky would have buried them if the mage had not cast a spell to create a warm bubble around them.

"Is the human world always like this?" Tailmon questioned, trying to see something amidst the blizzard. "How are we going to find my partner?"

"Don't worry about it." Wizarmon said, opening the box the cat digimon had been holding and taking the digivice out. "I can use a tracking spell on this and-"

Suddenly, the little machine flew from his hand in high speed, towards the grey clouds. The mage digimon was paralyzed by his shock.

"Just how powerful was that spell?!" Tailmon shouted, closing the box immediately, as if afraid that the same thing could happen to the remaining object in it.

"That wasn't me." Wizarmon spoke in low voice, looking around with suspicion.

"What do you mean?" Tailmon paled intensely. "Are humans capable of-"

"This wasn't the work of a human." Wizarmon muttered.

"A digimon, then?" She asked, worried.

"If another mage, no matter how skillful, invaded a space filled with my magic, I would've noticed it and resisted." He explained. "A digimon powerful enough to make a move on me like that… knowledgeable enough to hide from me…"

Both Wizarmon and Tailmon looked up, fearfully. The mage held his staff with both hands and closed his eyes. _Look for a magical signature_ , he told himself. _There must be a presence. Concentrate!_

In his mind, he saw an even denser blizzard. The white and luminous snowflakes contrasted with completely dark surroundings.

 _Trying to keep me out? Try a little harder!_ Wizarmon thought, concentrating with more effort. The fierce winds began to lose strength. Its howls diminished, allowing another sound to be heard.

Someone was crying loudly.

Wizarmon walked through the accumulated heavy snow that reached his knees. The freezing sensation was unbearable despite existing only in his mind. Several meters ahead, someone was sitting on the snow, leaning forward. Trembling, sobbing. Not sinking, as if weightless. That person was wearing a white jacket that could perfectly blend with the snow.

The digimon approached the mysterious individual. Their head was leaning down. The face was hidden behind curly dark bangs. The pained voice sounded masculine. Wizarmon circled around to see the other side of the stranger and noticed that he had his arms positioned in an odd way, as if he were holding someone invisible. The front of his jacket and his lap were drenched red. At his right, a helmet with countless long bloody needles pointing inside laid on the ground.

Wizarmon noticed a trail of blood in front of the stranger and followed it. It led to a metallic chair with restraints, less than ten meters away. The object was also covered in blood.

 _What the hell is this?_ The digimon wondered, frightened. Suddenly, his surroundings became bright, forcing Wizarmon to close his eyes. When he opened them again, the mage found himself in a field filled with diverse and multicolored flowers, with the sun high in the sky. In front of him, there was a large crystalline rock that should not be larger than two miles, projecting itself a few centimeters from the ground. On the top of the rock, a little bird was sharpening its beak.

The digimon squatted and touched the hard crystalline material. _Diamond?_ He wondered.

"There was once upon a time a shepherd boy whose fame spread far and wide because of the wise answers which he gave to every question."

Wizarmon couldn't tell from where that voice was coming. It was different from the one the crying person had and the mage could not confirm whether it was a masculine or feminine voice.

"The King of the country heard of it likewise, but did not believe it, and sent for the boy. Then he said to him, 'if you can give me an answer to three questions which I will ask you, I will look on you as my own child, and you shall dwell with me in my royal palace.' The boy said, 'what are the three questions?'" The voice continued.

"Is this some fairy-tale?" The digimon inquired, looking for the owner of the voice in his surroundings. "Why are you telling me that?"

"No reason at all." The voice lacked emotion. "It's just an old story I was told a long time ago… by someone who was trying to make small talk."

"Is that what you're trying to do now?" Wizarmon questioned.

"I'm rather polite, aren't I?" The other sounded amused. "Considering that you tried to invade my mind and have seen something you shouldn't have, I'm treating you way better than you deserve."

 _Something I shouldn't have seen… that person crying? The helmet? The chair?_ He was trying to put the pieces together. _The only digimon I know that is well versed in magic to this extent and is a skillful enough telepath… is this Monzaemon? Is he trying to disguise himself behind this childish voice?_

He did not know Monzaemon's past. Maybe that monster had a complicated history nobody knew about.

"Do you think you scare me?" Wizarmon asked, attempting to sound self-assured. "I was one of the most talented priests in the Sanctuary! I'm more than capable to deal with you!"

"I know very well who you are." The voice sounded thunderous.

There were many telepathic digimon in the Sanctuary, but only a few of them were highly instructed on magic. Wizarmon used to be proud for being a magician skillful enough to earn praise from the Queen herself. There was only another monster acknowledged by her in the same regard.

 _This guy really must be Monzaemon._ The mage concluded, feeling his heart skip a beat. There were stories about the bear monster visiting the human world and messing with children, but they were considered to be nothing but gossip. However, the memory of that crying child in a scenario that resembled a nightmare was a strong indication that the rumors were true. Monzaemon later betrayed the Sanctuary and fought alongside the Academy and then, after the war, he just vanished. Not even Kanda's network was able to locate him.

Did that wicked creature flee to the human world at some point? Was he now completely dedicated to psychologically tormenting people? But why did he take Tailmon's digivice away? There was only one plausible answer for that

"What's your interest in Yagami Hikari?" Wizarmon inquired. He, Kanda and Tailmon should be the only ones to know about that child, and the former bearer of love was the only one who knew how she looked like and where she lived, not daring to keep that information in the Academy's databank, but in the only place Wizarmon would never be able to invade: his mind.

However, everything indicated that Monzaemon knew about her. Was he able to read Kanda's mind? How frighteningly powerful was that toy monster?

"You're not having a lot of luck in your search for her, are you?" The other chuckled, despite not sounding actually happy.

"And you are?" Wizarmon had a defiant tone.

"Do you want me to give you a clue?" The voice offered.

"Why would you do that?" The mage digimon gripped his staff more fiercely.

"It could lead to interesting developments." The other replied. "Now, let me give you some information."

Wizarmon grabbed his staff with his other hand and began to cast a protective incantation, not willing to allow that monster to do anything to him. Nevertheless, his mind was invaded by a series of images.

First, there was a building; the address was easily readable in its front. Then, a blue haired child wearing glasses left that place in large steps, seemingly distressed.

The mage had seen that child before in the archives of the Academy. He was the current bearer of honesty, Kido Jyou. But now that the Academy had been destroyed (if the plan had succeeded) the new chosen children should be stranded in the Digital World, with no means of returning, or worse! What was the meaning of that? How could that chosen child be there?

"That was a vision of the future." The voice explained. "If you go to that building and wait for that scene to happen, you might find something interesting in that boy's mind."

"You have prophetic powers too?" Wizarmon asked, finding himself back in the flower field.

"I'm not a prophet." The voice said. "I simply predict predictable events."

"How…?" Wizarmon's body was shaking against his will. "An ordinary Monzaemon is not even naturally telepathic… did you become this powerful just by studying?"

"You're denser than I expected, Wizarmon." The other commented. "I wonder how you got to be so good at betrayals."

Suddenly, a blizzard approached Wizarmon from all directions and he blacked out. When he woke up, he found himself resting next to Tailmon.

"You fainted suddenly!" The cat sounded alarmed. "Are you alright?"

The mage sat up with difficulty, feeling a little dizzy.

"We need to look for a building." He told her. "There might be a clue about Hikari there…"

"How do you know that?" Tailmon inquired.

"Someone gave me that information… it could very well be a trap, though." He acknowledged.

"And you want us to go there anyway?" She frowned.

"We're not in a position where we can let chances pass by." Wizarmon admitted. "I promised to bring you and your partner together."

"That's true." Tailmon nodded. "Let's go, then!"

* * *

"I think fish sticks are good." Jyou muttered, in the convenience store, holding Pukamon wrapped in a shirt in his right hand and a box of frozen food on the other.

"Do you think I can control them with my 'marching fish' attack?" Pukamon wondered.

"Wouldn't that be necromancy?" The boy shivered. Right after that, he realized that he should be worried about something else. "Hey, don't speak!" Jyou censored Pukamon while looking around, nervously. "You don't want to cause hysteria, do you?"

"Hysteria?" The digimon was puzzled. "Is it like when you tried to run away from me when we met?"

"T-That's a completely normal reaction! Anyone would've done the same!" Jyou's cheeks became vividly scarlet.

"Would everybody cry and think I'm haunting-?"

"I DIDN'T CRY! I DEFINITELY REMEMBER NOT CRYING!" Jyou shouted, realizing only in that moment that he had done that in a place that should be full of strangers.

Fortunately, there was only a young purple-haired girl with glasses and a red sweater working as the cashier. Someone definitely too young to be working there. She was muffling a laugh while looking at him. Jyou turned his back to her, in an attempt to hide his flustered face.

However, in front of him there was a little girl with short brown hair, wearing a pink coat. She showed him a smile that the boy found enigmatic.

Jyou was at a loss of words. Was that child mentally mocking him?

"Please, don't get irritated at your friend. I'm sure he didn't mean to embarrass you." She told him, affably.

"My friend…?" Jyou paled.

"This one." The girl pointed to Pukamon.

"N-no! T-That's just a toy!" The boy hurried to deny.

"You don't need to lie to me." The younger child said, gently. "This isn't the first time I've seen a digimon."

Jyou unconsciously let go of the box of frozen food and his partner. Unlike the fish sticks, Pukamon was hovering in front of the boy. The sixth-grader was not able to say anything, simply staring at the little kid as cold sweat covered his forehead.

"Where have you seen digimon before?" Pukamon inquired in low voice, keeping himself close to the boy's belly, in an attempt to hide his presence from the girl in the cashier some meters behind Jyou.

"In my dreams." The girl replied, beaming. "I've been visiting a magical place for years, whenever I slept. In that world, I've seen wonderful creatures like you."

"H-hold on!" Jyou found his voice again. "What the hell are you saying? W-What kind of crazy talk is this?!"

The smaller child paled deeply and dropped her smile. She looked down and passed by Jyou's side, murmuring "I'm not crazy."

"You need to go after that girl!" Pukamon urged in a whisper.

"Yeah…" Jyou muttered. "I was insensitive and made her upset."

"Huh? No, not because of that!" Pukamon said. "Don't you find it strange how she knows about digimon?"

"That's true." Jyou nodded. He grabbed Pukamon with his right hand and then lowered his body to pick up the fish sticks and the shirt that had been enveloping his partner. After that, he turned around and headed to the cashier. The girl in the pink coat was talking to the child with purple hair.

"Sorry, Hikari-chan. The price of your favorite ice cream went up." The girl wearing glasses had an apologetic voice.

"It's okay, Miyako-san. I didn't want it that much." Hikari forced a smile.

"But you came all the way here just to buy it." Miyako was not convinced.

The child in the pink coat noticed Jyou's presence next to her.

"I need to go." Hikari hurried to say, getting away from there with large steps, not paying attention to the protests of Miyako and the boy. After leaving the market and closing the door behind her, she stayed still for a moment, looking at the snow that covered the ground. The flakes were no longer falling from the sky but the heavy clouds were still there, stopping the sunshine from reaching her. Hikari tried to find comfort in the coldness and distract her mind from unpleasing memories.

She should know better than to be too sincere. Yet, there were times when Hikari could not help herself. That was definitely the case upon seeing an actual digimon for the first time.

While lost in her thoughts, the door behind her was abruptly opened and the boy with blue hair stepped outside. He took from the plastic bag he was holding (from which the digimon's head stood out) a small ice cream cup labeled "supreme vanilla meets chocolate" and handed it to the girl.

"I'm deeply sorry for hurting your feelings!" Jyou bowed. "I was too shocked! I didn't mean to say that! Sometimes it's like my mouth has a will of its own and just spills every stupid thought that crosses my mind!"

"It's alright, please don't be like that." Hikari told him, startled by the show of regret. "You haven't hurt my feelings at all!"

"Of course I have!" Jyou reiterated, raising his head and facing her. "When a person does something that upsets you, you deserve an apology! Also, you're entitled to call the person out for it!"

The girl stared at him with wide open eyes, not saying a thing or moving a muscle. The boy eventually got tired of bending over and decided to straight his posture, despite keeping his right arm stretched to her, offering the ice cream.

"You shouldn't have bought me that." She murmured, glancing at the cup. "I can't accept it."

"I don't like this flavor. If you don't accept it, I'll have to throw it away." Jyou informed her.

"Please, don't do that!" Hikari quickly took the ice cream from his hand and held it against her body.

They stared at each other in silence for half a minute, until Pukamon spoke:

"You really do like ice cream, don't you?"

The girl's face turned completely red.

"I'm an ice cream fan as well!" Jyou laughed. "I only have them with cones, though."

The girl's expression softened at the sight of the boy's smiling face.

"My name is Yagami Hikari." She introduced herself.

"I'm Kido Jyou. This is Pukamon." Jyou said.

"Nice to meet you both." She greeted.

"You said before that you saw digimon in your dreams?" Pukamon asked.

"I realize it must sound odd." Hikari muttered. "Most people don't have dreams like the ones I have…"

"You have prophetic dreams?" Jyou sounded amazed.

"I don't know if I'd go that far and call them prophetic." The girl giggled, nervously. "My big brother sometimes jokes that I'm psychic, though."

"Your big brother?" Jyou was only now registering the family name she had told him. "Is your big brother by any chance Yagami Taichi?"

"You know him." Hikari commented, not surprised. "He has many friends."

"I just met him in a summer camp." Jyou clarified. "I wouldn't call him my friend. We have friends in common, though. Besides…" He grinned at Hikari. "You seem to be way cooler than him!"

The child's eyes widened and shone. A large smile appeared on her lips.

But then she realized something else.

"Summer camp?" The girl frowned slightly. "Was the camp canceled? Did everybody come back?"

"Yes, your brother is probably in your home right now, waiting for you." The boy informed.

"Please excuse me, I need to go." Hikari said, walking away quickly.

"I can walk you home." Jyou offered.

"There's no need! Thank you for your kindness!" The girl yelled back, already a couple of meters ahead.

"Be careful not to slip!" The boy told her.

"Ok!" She replied.

"What do you think, Jyou?" Pukamon asked once they were alone. "Do you think she was telling the truth?"

"She seems to be a good girl." The boy said. "Maybe she really is psychic. My Grandmother believed that people like her existed."

"It seems that she's feeling better." The digimon pointed out.

"Feeling better?" Jyou was confused.

"Don't you remember that Taichi had said that she wasn't feeling well?" The other inquired.

"He said that?" The boy was surprised. "Oh no, was I not paying attention?"

"How insensitive of you." Pukamon taunted.

"I do the best I can!" The human got flustered. His partner chuckled in response. Then, Jyou took Pukamon to his building.

* * *

Once Jyou opened his apartment's door with the key he took from his backpack, Pukamon left the plastic bag and floated inside, intending to explore the place. The door opened to the kitchen, which had a large rectangular glass table with a flowery sheet over it and six chairs around it, a black counter connected to the sink and a black oven, a gray refrigerator at a corner and a cabinet at the opposite wall from the entrance. The digimon hovered towards the living room, which was connected to the kitchen by an entrance and had a large beige couch across from a wooden shelf filled with books, with a television at its center

"This place is so pretty!" Pukamon praised, loudly.

"My parents have really good taste." Jyou commented with a bit of pride, slipping out of his shoes. He did not find the home sandals he usually left at the entrance. Maybe his mother or father had taken them to his bedroom, believing the boy would be gone for a couple of weeks. Jyou walked in his socks. He took the package of fish sticks from the plastic bag and placed it inside the sink, turning on the tap, allowing the flowing water to start to unfreeze the food recipient. Then, he picked the gray shirt that he had used to keep his partner warm from the plastic bag and went to the living room, from where he would take the corridor to his bedroom. Pukamon followed him.

"I thought you were going to cook." The digimon said.

"First, I'm going to put my things in my bedroom." Jyou replied, opening the door to his room. The place had a well made bed close to the window, a large wardrobe at the left of the bed and a study desk with three piles of books on its right. The boy used to share that room with his older brothers. Ever since both of them moved away, he found himself with more space than he needed.

The boy noticed that his home sandals were placed in front of his wardrobe and wondered why his parents did not put them inside it. Jyou put his backpack on his bed and opened the wardrobe, intending to place in there what needed to be there. He shrieked when he saw the eldest son of the Kido family taking a nap over the youngest sibling's folded clothes. The older brother seemed to be comfortable, wearing jeans pants and a yellow sweater.

"Huh, what?" The young man in the wardrobe woke up, confused. He sat up, cross legged on the clothes, and looked at the child.

"It's just you, Jyou?" He asked.

"What are you doing in there, Shin-niisan?!" Jyou nearly yelled. "I folded those clothes myself!"

"I wanted to take a nap but the sheet on your bed was perfectly straightened up… it would make me feel guilty if I messed with it. So I opened the wardrobe to pick up a futon. But then I thought it'd be too troublesome to put that thing down. That's why I decided to just sleep in the wardrobe." Shin explained.

"That's really lazy of you!" Jyou reprehended. "Not to mention that you're on my clean clothes! Please, get out of there!"

"I'm entitled to be lazy at home." The big brother yawned, jumping from the wardrobe and putting on the home sandals that belonged to the child.

"Those are mine!" Jyou complained.

"You weren't supposed to come home earlier." Shin scratched his forehead, glancing at his brother. "You should be relaxing in a summer camp, away from here."

"Do you mean that you wanted me to go to a summer camp just so you could come home and use my things?" Jyou was offended at the thought.

"That's not true and you know it." Shin furrowed his eyebrows. "Like always, you're stressing yourself over nothing."

"I-I'm not…" Jyou stuttered. Shin was no longer paying attention to the boy. Instead, he was looking at Pukamon, who was floating at Jyou's side.

"Who is this?" Shin asked in low voice, raising both eyebrows.

"Ah! I can explain!" Jyou said in loud voice. "Please, you need to stay calm! I know this must be a shock for you but I can guarantee that everything is okay! Calm down!"

"He seems very calm to me." The digimon observed, examining Shin's relaxed body language. "Your brother is almost like the anti-you."

"I came first. Therefore, Jyou is the anti-me." Shin teased.

"Shin-niisan, you don't need to use humor to hide how scared you are!" Jyou tried to sound comforting. "Fear is a completely valid human reaction!"

"Jyou, seriously, this guy is super chill." Pukamon sighed.

"There's no way he'd be chill, Pukamon!" Jyou protested. "Shin-niisan has never seen a digimon before! He must be freaking out in the inside! Clearly, he's so overwhelmed by his emotions that he can't even pick one to express!" The boy stated, pointing to the blank expression his brother had. To tell the truth, he knew that Shin had the frustrating capability of staying calm in any situation. But Jyou believed that his big brother should not be truly calm in that moment. He had to be freaking out in the inside and hiding it! "Imagine how shocked Shin-niisan will be when he learns that you came from a different world!" Jyou continued. "He's going to need a glass of water! And to sit down!" The boy felt a strange satisfaction imagining that scene.

"Oh, you're like an alien, then?" Shin questioned Pukamon, sounding a little impressed. "I always thought that you guys would be like little green men."

"I don't become humanoid or green in any of my evolutions." The monster informed.

"So, you evolve? That's cool." Shin commented.

"Niisan, you really don't need to hide your nervousness!" Jyou muttered, shocked at his brother's tranquility. "Aren't you scared of Pukamon? Not even a little bit? He's a strange life form that you never saw before, it's okay to be a little scared!"

"Were you scared when you saw this guy for the first time?" Shin inquired, looking at Jyou. The little brother saw reproval in the other's eyes.

"I…" The boy felt his heart racing in his chest. He did not want to tell the truth, but neither did he want to lie. Was Shin going to be disappointed at him? "Actually I…"

"In the Digital World, Jyou faced many dangers for the sake of the other children and digimon who needed help." Pukamon told the older brother. "I've never met someone as brave as him!"

"Pukamon…" Jyou felt a wave of gratitude for his partner.

"I couldn't imagine how courageous he was when we first met." Pukamon smirked. "Jyou was shaking, sickly pale. He called me an evil spirit and ran into the jungle, crying."

"How many times do I have to say that I didn't cry?!" Jyou shouted. "Why can't you support me for more than a couple of minutes?!"

"He faced dangers…?" Shin muttered, paling. "What exactly-?"

Suddenly, a voice rang out from the kitchen.

* * *

Kido Shuu took the chance that his summer research had been canceled to come to Tokyo and visit his family. He imagined that his parents were working and that Jyou was in the summer camp, after all the support he and Shin gave to the idea.

Knowing that he was probably going to have the whole apartment for himself, Shuu opened the door with a great gesture and began to sing, unafraid of being heard.

"Even if I dream, even if I cry, even if I get hurt, reality keeps on coming recklessly. I want to find my own place, the value of being the person I've been until now." Shuu crossed the door of the apartment, dancing to his own singing of the opening theme of his favorite anime. He left his shoes at the entrance and did not bother to look for sandals, stepping on the floor wearing his socks.

The young man took off his dark blue coat and placed it on one of the kitchen's chairs. Underneath he was wearing black pants and a thick light blue cotton shirt. He closed his eyes when he got to his favorite part of the song:

"Let's find the strength to throw it all away, to strip down to nothing at all! Become like a rose petal, blowing free! Even if the two of us are torn apart, I swear that I will change the world!"

Once he opened his eyes, Shuu found both his brothers staring at him, from the passage that connected the kitchen to the living room.

"How long have you guys been there?" Shuu asked in a murmur, sweating.

"Enough time." Shin replied with a smug smile. "Did you always do that kind of thing or did Kyoto change you?"

"Rinbu Revolution is just a really catchy song, alright?" Shuu replied, blushing.

"Shuu-niisan, good thing you're here! I need to introduce you to someone!" Jyou exclaimed, stepping aside from the kitchen's entrance. From behind him, Pukamon floated into the room. _He's going to be scared, isn't he? It's not going to be like it was with Shin-niisan._ The boy thought, hopeful.

"IS THAT A YOKAI?!" Shuu yelled, excitedly, approaching the monster. "A real yokai? Wait until Professor hears about this!"

 _Why is he taking this so well too?_ Jyou felt as if his heart was being squeezed inside his chest. _Come on! He has to be at least a little frightened! That's how people should react!_

"Pukamon is a digimon! A monster from the Digital World!" Jyou corrected. "He changes his shape and gets bigger and stronger! He has attacks! He could destroy this building if he wanted to!" The boy was slightly raising his voice. "I know this must be a lot for you to take in, Niisan. It's completely normal to be scared! Don't worry, you can sit on a chair and I can get you a glass of water-"

"Who cares about water? I want to know everything about this wonderful creature right away!" Shuu nearly shouted in excitement, not taking his eyes from Pukamon. "You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, Pukamon! Shin-niisan, isn't he beautiful?"

"Not really." Shin replied. "But it's not like I have a beauty parameter for aliens."

"Hey! I'm cute!" Pukamon complained, but did not sound honestly offended.

"Did you come from a different dimension, Pukamon?" Shuu asked. "Perhaps a different realm? Could it be that what our civilization has come to call yokai were actually digimon? Do you have a civilization of your own? Do you have your own writing? Do you have a government? How complex is your society?"

"Hey, Shuu, don't forget to breathe." Shin joked.

"To navigate is necessary, to live is not necessary." Shuu said, dramatically putting his right hand under his chin.

"Obscure citations don't make you sound smart." Shin informed. "They make you sound like someone who's trying too hard to sound smart."

"Sure." Shuu grinned. "Just like your constant lack of excitement is just you trying to make people think you're cool."

"T-That's not true!" The eldest brother blushed.

"Oh, my! Did I just get a reaction out of Kido Shin?" The middle brother had an exaggerated surprised tone. "I must have super powers!"

"Only if being inconvenient is a super power." Shin smirked.

"I shall accept what I have been blessed with." Shuu was now speaking with an over the top deep intonation. "With great powers come great responsibilities."

Shuu laughed at his own joke. Shin smirked.

"Your brothers are great, Jyou!" Pukamon chuckled, hovering to his partner and sitting on his right shoulder. "I had no idea your family was so funny!"

"Yeah…" The boy murmured, glancing down. "They have better social skills than me… and other things…"

"Hey, what's the matter?" The digimon asked. "We're all getting along. Aren't you happy that they didn't get hysteric over me?"

"Sure." Jyou mumbled. He should be happy that his family had accepted his partner so easily but it did not feel right. Why were they so unfazed when it had been such a shock for Jyou? Could it be that most people would behave with grace when confronted by something new? Was he the odd one for not adhering to that rule?

 _Why can't they be more nervous?_ He wondered. _Why does everything have to be so much easier for them? While I always have a hard time with everything, they just…_

"I was born in the Village of the Beginnings, in File Island." Pukamon began to tell his story. "Ever since I could remember, I knew that I was going to meet a human named Jyou and that he would be my partner. I knew that he was going to give me the power to evolve and that we would be best friends. I have to admit that I had imagined him as someone way cooler, though." The digimon laughed.

"Jyou was never good with first impressions." Shin commented, scratching his face with his right hand.

"He might not be a cool person but he's really hard working and earnest." Shuu said with a proud smile.

 _Literally nobody finds me cool._ Jyou thought, not registering the second part of Shuu's speech.

"Who brought him to that other world?" Shin inquired, contracting his eyebrows. "With what purpose?"

"A guy named Kanda." Pukamon explained. "Jyou and other four children were taken to the Digital World to fight alongside us."

"Fight?" Shin was becoming increasingly paler. "What do you mean by that?"

"Actually he gives me energy so **I** can fight." The digimon clarified. "I pretty much do almost all of the hard work." He added, giggling.

"I'm going to prepare lunch, excuse me." Jyou interrupted, heading to the sink of the kitchen after taking his partner from his shoulder and placing him on the table.

"Hold on! We haven't even touched on the important parts yet!" The digimon protested.

"I'm sure you can fill my brothers in about all of my shortcomings." The youngest sibling muttered.

"We didn't mean to make you feel inadequate, Jyou." Shuu tried to appease the boy. "I'm sorry if I said something that made you sad!

"Stop twisting things, Jyou." Shin reprehended. "You know very well that-"

"No! I don't know!" The boy almost yelled. "You can't just make fun of me and then expect me to know that you don't mean it!"

"Yes, you are expected to know that we don't mean it. Because that's how people normally talk to each other." Shin affirmed. "You need stop being overdramatic."

"Shin-niisan, you're going too far!" Shuu scolded.

"I'm just saying what he needs to hear!" The eldest brother stated.

"Sorry for being overdramatic, then!" Jyou raised his voice, turning off the tap and picking up the package he had left in the sink. "Sorry for not being as well-adjusted as you!" He tried to open the package with too much force. "Sorry for being such a disappointment!"

The package was torn open and the fish sticks fell on the ground. Instead of trying to pick them up, Jyou put both his hands on the counter and hyperventilated. His body was shaking, his thoughts were chaotic. He wanted to cry but refused to do it in front of his siblings. They were just going to think even less of him.

"Jyou, I'm sorry!" Pukamon floated to the space on the counter between the boy's hands. "I was just joking! You know how much I care for you!"

"You're not a disappointment to us!" Shuu stated. "I'm always bragging about you to everybody I know! Despite being my baby brother, you're always so serious, responsible and dedicated! I honestly admire that in you!"

"Whenever anyone praises me, it's always about how I'm always working hard." Jyou whispered. "I always have to work more than everybody else… nobody ever says that I'm naturally good at something…"

"What are you talking about, Jyou?" Pukamon asked. "Aren't you proud of your effort? You're more dedicated than anyone!"

"If I have to work hard to achieve anything, doesn't that just mean that I'm not gifted in any way?" The boy murmured, feeling his eyes getting humid.

"Stop saying that, Jyou! You're scaring me!" Shuu was getting anxious.

"Jyou, you can't let those thoughts win you over!" The digimon warned him. "There are many wonderful things in you! You're brave! You care a lot about people! You put the needs of others above your own, risking your own life doing so!"

"Anyone can do that!" The boy dismissed.

"Do you think anyone would do what you've done?!" Pukamon raised his voice. "You offered your own body to a wicked computer program hoping that it would let Koushiro go! You defied Leomon to protect an innocent, knowing that he was a strong digimon who would be dangerous to have as an enemy! You were the first one to acknowledge Sora as a better leader and didn't shy away from admitting that you weren't suited for the task! And when she got hurt in Aurora Town, you were the first person to think of ways to help her! Not to mention that you stood up to a god and insulted it, not fearing what could happen to you! Do you honestly think anyone would have done that?! Are you joking with me now?!"

"Did you really do all that?" Shuu asked, amazed, approaching his little brother and placing a hand on his right shoulder. "I've always known that you were the kind of person who would stick to your values but I never expected you to be so courageous!" The young man had a large smile. "You can't even begin to understand how proud I am of you right now!"

"You're proud of me…? Both of you…?" Jyou looked from Pukamon to his brother Shuu.

"You should be proud of you as well!" Pukamon told him. "You're very different from me and that's frustrating sometimes but I wouldn't change you for anyone else." The digimon smiled. "I'm proud of being your partner, Jyou!"

Jyou picked Pukamon up and wrapped him in a hug. Shuu hugged his little brother as well.

"Thank you for telling me that!" Jyou let a couple of tears escape his eyes. "I have issues with my self-worth… I keep comparing myself to people…" He gulped. "For years, I've compared myself to both Shuu-niisan and Shin-niisan and thought that I was lesser... That made me frustrated…" The boy glanced down. "That frustration manifested as anger and nit-pickiness… I felt the need to criticize people for little things… to complain constantly… I wanted to feel better about myself and I failed to notice how my behavior affected other people." Jyou shut his eyes closed. "I don't like to be that kind of person and I'm trying to change but sometimes… I can't escape those thought patterns… thank you for reassuring me. Thank you for reminding me that I have worth…"

Jyou's digivice, that had been in his pocket ever since he had returned from the camp, shone. Pukamon was enveloped in white light.

"Pukamon evolves to… Gomamon!"

"He changed form!" Shuu exclaimed, breaking the hug and unceremoniously taking Gomamon from Jyou's arms. "How did this happen?"

Gomamon began to explain what a digivice was and how Jyou's emotional state influenced in his evolutions. The boy, however, was now paying attention to Shin, who had not moved from his spot near the entrance of the kitchen. The eldest brother had his arms crossed and a severe expression.

"Niisan…" Jyou approached him.

"What have you been up to, Jyou?" Shin had a grave tone. "Have you been trying to get yourself killed? Is that it?"

"Why are you phrasing it like that?" The child got annoyed. Shuu and Gomamon realized that an argument was rising between those two.

"How should I be phrasing it?" Shin inquired. "Were you expecting me to call your recklessness bravery as well? What are you trying to prove by jumping straight into danger?"

"Jyou doesn't want to prove anything!" Gomamon defended his partner. "He just honestly wants to help everybody!"

"But there are responsible ways to do that!" Shin stated, looking at the digimon. "If Jyou used his head instead of letting his emotions rule him he would see-"

"If I used my head?!" Jyou glared at the eldest brother. "I tried to do that from the beginning but forcing myself to be logical and do things for a supposedly greater good didn't work for me or anyone else!" He shouted. "I only began to become someone better when I started being honest with myself! I'm not logical or cold blooded! I feel things strongly! And I like this version of myself way better than who I was trying to be before!"

"You always felt things way too strongly!" Shin raised his voice. "That's exactly your problem! Your emotions cloud your vision and you can't see what you're doing to yourself!"

"Hey, hey, no need to get so intense, you two!" Shuu tried to appease them.

"You don't think this is an important matter, Shuu?" Shin asked, glaring at the middle sibling. "Oh, right! Jyou's new developed death wish makes you proud, doesn't it? Because you're such a _supporting_ brother!"

"You used to criticize me for how I was before!" Jyou recalled. "Now you're criticizing me for being true to myself! Am I never going to be good enough to you?!"

"The way I see it, you haven't changed one bit!" Shin stated. "You're still just an illogical child who doesn't know what's best for you!"

Jyou could not bear to remain in his presence any longer. He went to the entrance of his apartment, put on his shoes and left.

"Jyou, wait!" Shuu called. "How could you say that to him?!" He turned to Shin.

"You don't know through how many things Jyou has been and how much he has changed!" Gomamon was angry at the eldest sibling. "You don't have the right to deny his growth!"

"He changed, you say?" Shin had a morbid tone. "My brother decided that he wanted to be a doctor and help people when he was five and took it so seriously that he began to study a lot more than a child his age should! He became obsessed with it and endangered his mental stability! All these years later, he's still risking his health for the sake of helping others, but this time he's actually flirting with death!" His lips trembled. "I can't just sit still and applaud him when he's doing that!"

Gomamon felt sympathy for Shin in that moment. He too worried about Jyou's well being and about how far his ideals could take him. The digimon had suffered with that concern for long and knowing what had happened to Jyou's predecessor only made things worse. What if the boy ultimately destroyed himself trying to save as many lives as he could? What should Gomamon do in that case? He respected his partner's kindness and devotion to what he believed to be right. But he could not value those things over Jyou's life.

"I understand where you're coming from." The digimon told Shin. "Jyou's selflessness is admirable but it's also terrifying. But do you know what's even scarier than imagining Jyou getting hurt for his ideals?" His voice became lower. "To imagine him suffering alone."

"What are you saying?" Shin murmured.

"I think I understand." Shuu said, glancing down at the monster in his arms. "There are things that are integral to a person's self. Things that can't be changed, no matter how much you negate them. Being passionate and idealistic, taking things too seriously… that's all part of Jyou's nature. It's who he is! It's not up to us to decide whether those traits are good or bad. We can only accept our brother in his wholeness."

"I can't do that." Shin mumbled. "I can't stay inert and watch my baby sibling…" He could not finish the sentence.

"It's not a matter of choosing between supporting Jyou and taking care of him." Gomamon explained. "We can do both things. We can love him for who he is and still call him out when he exceeds his limits." The monster felt a nod in his throat. "That's what I want to believe in."

Shin stayed quiet for half a minute. He had a lot to think about.

"Niisan." Shuu called him. "Let's go after our baby brother."

Shin knew that was the logical thing to do in that moment.

* * *

Jyou made his way through the snow that almost covered his shoes. He was slowly organizing his thoughts. Independent of his motivations, Shin's way of speaking was hurtful and Jyou knew that he deserved an apology for that.

Once the boy entered an alley, he suddenly was no longer able to move forward. His feet had been glued to the ground. He looked down and saw a faint glowing circle around him, on the snow.

"What is this?!" Jyou wondered in loud voice. He heard the sound of something softly hitting the snow a couple of meters in his front and looked to see what it was. Someone that looked like a person wearing a cape that hid most of the face and a pointy hat with a skull at its front was standing there, pointing a golden staff with a metallic sun at its extremity in the human's direction.

"You really came, chosen child." The other sounded a little surprised.

"You're a digimon?" Jyou asked. "H-How did you get here? What are you doing in this world?!"

"I don't have to tell you anything, bearer of honesty." The mage replied, stepping inside the circle. "You're the one who's going to give me answers."

"Jyou!" Voices were calling him in the distance.

"I'M HERE!" Jyou shouted.

"Bringing people here won't change a thing to you." Wizarmon informed.

Shin, Shuu and Gomamon followed the boy's voice and found him.

"A Wizarmon?!" Jyou's partner was shocked. "Why are you here? What do you want with Jyou?!"

"He trapped me!" Jyou shouted, picking up the digivice from his pocket. Gomamon jumped from Shuu's arms, ready to evolve. But the energy of the little machine never reached him.

Wizarmon held his staff with both hands and stuck its base into the snow. The circle glowed with more intensity as wind involved the two individuals inside it. Jyou took both his hands to his head and let out a cry of pain.

"What are you doing to him?!" Shin inquired, clenching his fists.

"You won't get hurt if you don't oppose me." The mage told Jyou as his green eyes glowed. "Open your mind to me!"

The boy's body became rigid and he let his arms fall by his sides. The digivice was loosely kept in his right hand. A blank expression was visible in Jyou's face.

"Jyou?" Shuu calleed, afraid.

"Leave Jyou alone!" Gomamon ordered, running in Wizarmon's direction and jumping. The small mammal hit on an invisible wall at the edge of the circle and fell on his back.

Shin felt his body quivering and heart racing. His eyes were becoming warmer and his vision blurred. His baby brother was in danger! He was under attack! But he could not find any way to save him. He could not see any way out for Jyou. What could Shin do? How was he going to rescue the boy?

"Jyou…" Shin muttered, heading towards the edge of the circle. "Let go of him!" He pressed both his hands on the invisible wall. "LET GO OF JYOU!"

Jyou watched his life playing before his eyes in high speed, without being able to do anything to stop it. There was only a moment when the memories slowed down and he could discern what was happening.

The memory showed the moment when Fate had assumed the form of a boy with dark curly hair and brown eyes and said:

 _"But my favorite child is still to come to this world."_

"That's…" Wizarmon's voice echoed in Jyou's head. "This person… I don't understand…"

The digimon's moment of confusion made his control over Jyou get weaker, which enabled the boy to hear Gomamon and his brothers calling for him. There was something peculiar in Shin's voice. Instead of the usual cold and composed tone the young man used, there was anguish and desperation overflowing from his voice. Was Shin, perhaps, crying? Crying for Jyou?

"Return my brother! Get away from Jyou!" Shin ordered.

 _He's scared!_ The boy thought. _He's scared for me!_

"Niisan, Jyou is going to be okay, isn't he?" Shuu sounded even more desperate than the eldest sibling. "What are we going to do?"

"Why doesn't he respond? Why isn't he reacting?" Gomamon sounded distressed as well.

"It's my fault…" Shin muttered. "Because of me… I just wanted to protect Jyou… I c-can't lose him! I can't!"

Jyou thought that he would be relieved the day he witnessed his brothers breaking under pressure, proving that they were not above emotional low points so familiar to the youngest sibling. But to hear the two young men in that state made Jyou feel as if he was freezing from the inside out. _Don't cry, please… I can't stand this…_ Jyou pleaded in thought, _I don't want them to be like this! It's going to be okay, Shin-niisan, Shuu-niisan! I promise you!_

"Get out!" Jyou commanded, while a furious expression took over his face and he clenched his fists. His sudden shout startled Gomamon, Shuu and Shin.

"You're just human! How can you resist me?" Wizarmon, once again visible in front of Jyou, had his green eyes wide open. His image flickered with fragments of the boy's memories.

 _"_ _My name is Yagami Hikari."_ The girl Jyou had seen earlier that day appeared in a flash.

For some reason, Wizarmon's control over the boy got even weaker after that vision of the girl. Jyou took the opportunity to assemble all of his determination and expel the invader.

"GET OUT OF MY MIND!" Kido Jyou roared.

Wizarmon lost his balance and fell to his knees. The golden circle dissolved itself. Shuu and Shin ran to Jyou, catching the boy before he collapsed. Gomamon headed in Wizarmon's direction, but the mage was able to quickly pull himself up and fly away.

"Jyou?" Shin called, holding the boy from behind along with Shuu. Jyou opened his eyes and saw the concerned looks on their faces.

"I'm sorry for worrying you." The boy said in a weak voice.

"I'm sorry too." Shin murmured, wiping the tears from his face with his left hand. "I wanted to take care of you but I was doing everything wrong, wasn't I?"

"You do a better job as a big brother than me, Niisan." Shuu had an apologetic tone. "If Jyou had only a careless sibling like me, would he still be alive today?"

"This is not a competition to determine who is the worst big brother." Shin sighed.

"You just say that because you know you'd lose to me." Shuu pouted.

Jyou started to giggle, surprising the others.

"What's so funny?" Shin inquired.

"You guys are a mess." Jyou laughed. "You're not so different from me, after all."

Shin and Shuu softened their expressions upon hearing that.

Gomamon approached them slowly, not wanting to interrupt their moment. He was glad to see Jyou's peaceful smiling face. Nevertheless, he could not shake off his preoccupation about the new enemy that had appeared. Who was that Wizarmon and what did he want with Jyou?

* * *

Tailmon had been asked not to interfere, so she had to wait on the top of a building while Wizarmon extracted information from the chosen child. Once her friend had returned, she wanted to know how things had gone.

"Did it work? Did you have to fight? I should've gone with you, shouldn't I?" She asked, concerned.

"I know what your partner looks like." He informed. "Now it will be easier to find her."

Tailmon was happy with the news but quickly noticed the worried look in her friend's eyes.

"What's the problem?" The cat digimon questioned.

Wizarmon glanced at the sky, noticing that a few snowflakes had begun to fall again.

"I underestimated the risks of coming here." He replied after a minute. "The enemy we're facing is far greater than I had expected."

 **Thank you very much for all the support! And special thanks to my beta Qwertyshuman who does an amazing job editing this fic and helps me to make it better. For this chapter, she gave me many valid advices and I'm truly grateful for them. Thank you for always being an extraordinary friend!**

 **The song Shuu sang (Rinbu Revolution) was the opening theme of the Revolutionary Girl Utena anime. "To navigate is necessary, to live is not necessary" is a fragment of a famous poem by Fernando Pessoa. Shuu is also a Spider-man fan. :)**


	28. Tachikawa interview

Once upon a time, a child dreamed that all toys were alive and that they could listen to thoughts. The idea intrigued him so much that he became obsessed with the idea of listening to what dwelled within people's hearts as well. He evolved and became a toy, or something that largely resembled one. But still his dream remained out of reach.

One day, he found an abandoned house filled with books. Those books taught him the secrets to open his mind and enter other people's souls. When he heard the first melodies, he thought that everything had been worth them. But not everybody had marvelous music in their hearts. Vicious noises born from pain disturbed him immensely. He tried to avoid them, but soon it became impossible. Millions of cries kept him awake every night after Seraphimon destroyed the Cloud Continent.

The dreamer became a priest and threw himself into his studies, in search of a way to fix those noises. He eventually found a solution for individual cases, but nothing that could counter that massive despair.

To make things worse, the woman he had sworn to serve gradually lost her loving melodies, that even in the beginning had been weak **.** They were replaced by a horrible sad song, not too different from the sounds that came from the doomed. He had to switch sides, otherwise he would not have peace. He stole a powerful book and allied himself to those who sought to destroy all those unpleasant noises.

Then, the dreamer lived in reclusion. Occasionally, he visited the world of humans and rescued toys. With the help of the book, he gave them lives and made them happy. Many human children he came across had good melodies in their hearts and pleased him. Those who didn't have them could be fixed.

What he never imagined was that he would run into a girl whose heart was like a rock opera. Because of that child, he was taken to hell, closer than ever to the horrid sounds he tried so hard to escape from.

He thought that he had completely lost his mind when the clown toy he had destroyed not long ago appeared before him. But that was not Mr. Raindrop. The one before him was someone everybody had heard of. Someone who should have a song unlike any other. The dreamer had to listen to that song. It was the only way to break free from his torment.

The visitor granted his wish. Monzaemon listened to that song and to nothing else, ever again.

 **Chapter 28: Tachikawa interview**

When Mimi saw the door of her apartment, the handmade placard that showed the smiling faces of her parents and herself lit something in her heart. As she opened the door, left her shoes at the entrance and stepped into the living room, her eyes got wetter. The place she had lived for the last four years seemed brighter and bigger than ever, to the point of forcing her to blink and adjust her eyes. The warmth inside that home was not comparable to the coldness outside. It almost felt like it could burn her.

Mimi left her wheeled luggage at the entrance and closed the door behind her. The bag she had taken to the Digital World was on her shoulder, with the digivice stuck at its strap. She called for her mother but Satoe wasn't there. A note left on the white shelf informed her that the woman had gone after special ingredients for a new culinary invention and would take some time to return. The girl imagined that the note was meant to be read by her father, Keisuke, who would return from work by the end of the day.

Despite her parents not being there, the apartment retained some of the cozy feeling that Mimi remembered. But it was not quite the same feeling she had ingrained in her heart. Nothing was quite the same, it was all somewhat off. But it should be just because she had missed those things so much.

The orange couch in the living room had six fluffy pillows on it, all of them in welcoming warm colors. Mimi could jump on the couch and take a nap on those pillows, as she had done so many times before. Maybe she could also look for remains of her birthday cake in the kitchen's fridge. Would there still be any piece left after so long?

She felt a fleeting and minuscule stab in her chest as she remembered that in her world it hadn't been so long since July 27th. From her parents' perspective, they had cheerfully said goodbye to her in that same morning, wishing for lots of fun in the summer camp. Not unlike her school friends in the bus, who wanted to chat about pointless things, not suspecting where she had been and what she had witnessed. All of them so unconcerned, complaining about the sudden snow and wishing for their warm beds and tasty winter meals. Mimi watched them, somewhat bothered, wondering if any of them had ever parted from people whose death was imminent or had themselves feared for their lives. That very thought disturbed her deeply, as did the understanding that, a few days before, she would have acted just like those children.

"Are those people your family?" Palmon suddenly asked, pointing to the several portraits in the shelf. Among books, vinyl discs and movie tapes, various photos showed the girl and her parents smiling widely, mostly during trips. One that had been taken in a ski station in the mountains caught her attention. The girl remembered how in that night she had gotten scared of the howling wind and her parents had soothed her. _"There's nothing to fear, we'll protect you from everything,"_ they had promised.

That photo had been taken only six or seven months before. Why did that memory feel like something that belonged to a previous life? She was sure that, now, no howling wind would make her afraid. There were much worse horrors in the world, horrors her parents could not protect her from.

"Mimi, what's the matter?" Palmon asked in a concerned voice.

"Sorry." Mimi muttered, rubbing her eyes before any tear fell. "I think I'm homesick..."

"Your parents seem to be nice people." Palmon commented.

"They're great." Mimi confirmed, putting a small smile on her lips. "My parents are the most upbeat people I know."

"That makes sense. They are _your_ parents, after all."

The girl could tell that her friend had said that as a compliment. She sustained the smile but something felt off. The implication that she was an upbeat person like the couple made Mimi uneasy. Perhaps that was true but it didn't feel like it in that moment.

"Do you want to see my bedroom?" The girl invited, leading the way. The bedroom had light pink walls and white curtains at the window. The bed was large and was covered by a frilly magenta sheet. A white wardrobe close to the entrance door and opposite from the bed had drawings of various flowers on it. There was a nightstand close to the girl's bed that had a lampshade decorated with little stars and planets. About a meter away, a dressing table with a large oval mirror and a chair were visible.

On every surface of the bedroom there were stuffed animals and plushy dolls. Mimi felt cold sweat covering her forehead. She had to resist the urge to pick up all of them and hide them inside the wardrobe, where their eyes wouldn't be able to bother her.

Those toys had been hers for years and Mimi thought that she adored them. But now, instead of bringing memories of good times, those objects reminded her of a horrid hotel.

"Hey, Mimi…" Palmon called.

"Yeah?" The girl murmured, turning to her.

"Are you thinking about Monzaemon?" The digimon's voice was uncharacteristically low.

Mimi trembled, embracing herself.

"I don't want to remember him." She said.

"You don't have the luxury of forgetting him." Palmon stated. "We must always remind ourselves that evil exists, otherwise we can't fight it."

" _Evil_ …" Mimi muttered, bothered by that word.

"Monzaemon was evil." Palmon affirmed. "He brainwashed your friends, destroyed the clown toy-"

"Why are you bringing him up?" The girl questioned. "Why can't we let all those unpleasant things behind us and enjoy this moment of peace?"

Palmon stayed silent for a couple of minutes, bearing a serious expression that made her partner shiver.

"When I fought Skullsatamon, I remembered my previous life." The digimon said.

"Previous life?" Mimi was startled to hear that. Was Palmon talking about a life from before she had met the girl? Did that mean that the digimon had died and been reborn, just like Patamon?

"I lived in a Digital World plagued with violence." Palmon began her story. "And then, one day, a powerful digimon that said to have been chosen by Fate appeared and vowed to bring peace to us. First, he massacred the most powerful factions. After that, he went after gangs of bandits. Almost everybody approved what he was doing." Her voice became bitter. "Good digimon praised that guy and justified his actions. When he began to punish anyone who criticized him and expressed his wish to be the Emperor of the World, it became harder for those digimon to defend him. But it didn't matter. Their previous omission had already allowed him to acquire too much power. Nevertheless, I fought him… maybe it was arrogance or an excess of hope but I believed for a time that I could free the world from that tyrant. But in the end he just killed me, just like he had done with all the others before me and after me... I can only wonder how many innocent lives were lost until he was finally stopped."

Upon hearing that, Mimi was at a loss of words. She had no idea her partner had that kind of past. It was true that Palmon seemed to be more mature and level-headed than the other digimon, but to imagine that she had fought a tyrant and perished in his hands long ago was too much.

"Are you alright?" Mimi brought herself to ask, looking at her partner with concern.

"I've only remembered that a few hours ago." Palmon replied, looking down. "I'm not sure how I'm feeling…"

"It makes sense that you used to be a warrior." The girl murmured. "Remember when you told me that you had been born to fight for the Digital World, back in Aurora Town? You said that it was your reason to live… your destiny…"

"We're all essentially the same, aren't we?" The digimon asked. "Even if we die and have another opportunity to make different choices, we can't change who we are, right?"

"I don't like that way of thinking." Mimi let her know. "I believe that people can change themselves if they really want to. We're all free to choose our paths."

Palmon remained in silence, glancing at the floor. The human wondered about what was going through her friend's mind.

Sudden hard knocks were heard coming from the apartment's front door.

"Your parents?" Palmon questioned in low voice.

"They both have keys." The other informed. "Besides, why would any of them knock so desperately?"

Mimi slowly returned to the living room and approached the door, Palmon close behind. The girl asked who was there but nobody answered.

"Be careful, Mimi!" Palmon warned.

"This is my world. We're safe here." Mimi assured her partner.

When the fourth grader opened the door, a trembling little girl with brown hair was standing there. She was wearing a pink coat and was holding a piece of paper in her shaking hands. Tears streamed from her eyes.

"T-Tachikawa Mimi-san?" She asked in a murmur.

Mimi nodded, too shocked by the vision to reply properly.

"Who are you?" Palmon asked, coming from behind Mimi. The little kid didn't seem surprised to see her.

"You c-can call me Hikari… b-but who I am is not important…" The smaller girl said. "I-I'm very sorry, Mimi-san… I'm sorry… y-your mother was..."

As that child told her what had happened to Satoe, Mimi felt as if the warmth of her home was completely sucked away. Coldness cut through her, tearing her heart apart.

* * *

"The phone is not connecting! There's just a buzzing sound!" Mimi shouted, slamming the telephone back to its place on the kitchen's wall. She threw the notepad with the other chosen children's phone numbers at the floor. "Why didn't I ask for their addresses?!"

Shaking from head to toes, she glanced at Palmon and Hikari sitting across each other at the table, a few steps away. While Mimi had jumped to call her friends after hearing that her mother was in danger, the digimon asked the timid little girl to sit down and explain better what had happened.

"I was walking home and having ice cream." The child's voice was barely audible. "The street was deserted… but then I saw a lady... she wearing a yellow long coat with drawings of pink roses…"

 _Mom's favorite coat…_ Mimi thought, feeling her heart being squeezed.

"And then you saw a huge yellow teddy bear wearing a trench coat?" Palmon asked.

"Yes." Hikari confirmed while keeping her eyes on the piece of paper she had put on the table. "He approached her from behind without her noticing it… then the lady fainted suddenly and he caught her, not even slightly surprised… I-I asked what was going on." A couple of tears fell from her eyes and she raised her shaking right hand to wipe them. "He picked a paper from one of his pockets and gave it t-to me… he told me to come to this place and tell Tachikawa Mimi-san to meet him at the address written on the paper… otherwise, Tachikawa Satoe-san would meet a terrible fate…"

Mimi knew that the kidnapper had to be Monzaemon. He must have had escaped to the human world after she had torched his spell book or maybe he just had hid himself and waited for an opportunity to come after her family for revenge. Despite her wishes that she would never have to think about him again, Palmon had mentioned that monster less than ten minutes before, likely because of the stuffed toys the girl had in her bedroom. All that had happened was too strange to be a coincidence.

How did Monzaemon know who her mother was or where her family lived? Had he somehow seen that in the girl's mind? Mimi brought both her hands to her head and slightly pushed her hair. Those were not the questions she should be worried about.

"I'm sorry I couldn't stop him." Hikari cried, covering her face with her little hands hidden in fluffy white gloves. "I-I'm sorry I let him take her away… I'm sorry… I wasn't capable…"

"Hey, it's okay!" Mimi approached the younger child and placed her hands on Hikari's shoulders. When the little kid uncovered her face, the older girl made sure to show her a calming smile, or the best attempt of one she could muster. "None of this was your fault! You were just in the bad place in the bad time. But I'm glad that you came to tell me what happened. I can save my Mom thanks to that!"

"It's a trap!" Hikari affirmed. "You know that, don't you?" She added, grabbing the paper from the table and handing it to Mimi, who picked it. "He wants you to go to the docks by yourself! What he plans for you… I… I c-can't even…"

"Mimi is not going there alone." Palmon assured the kid. "I'll protect her from Monzaemon, just like I did in the past!"

"That's right!" Mimi felt more confident after hearing her partner's vow. "Palmon now can evolve to perfect level! We can do this! We'll definitely save Mama!"

"Evolve…" Hikari muttered. Her eyes landed on the small machine stuck to the strap of the bag Mimi was still carrying. The younger child studied the object with attention and seriousness.

"It's called 'digivice.'" The older girl guessed that the little kid was curious about it.

"It connects me to Mimi and makes me stronger." The digimon explained. "Also, the digivice was the thing that brought her and the other chosen children to the Digital World."

"Oi, Palmon, let's not overflow Hikari-chan with information. It's been a difficult day for her." Mimi told her partner, letting go of Hikari and turning her body to Palmon.

"She seems to have accepted the concept of digimon well before arriving here." Palmon pointed out.

"Monzaemon probably told her the basics." Mimi wondered in loud voice, turning to the little girl again. "It's amazing that you had the strength of spirit to come here and tell us all that, after running into that guy. It must've been really scary."

Hikari furrowed her eyebrows and looked down.

"I'm sorry for not standing up to him." She murmured, ashamed.

"You've done more than enough, Hikari-chan!" Mimi assured her. "Don't demand too much from yourself. It's normal to be afraid in this situation. I was terrified the first time I faced Monzaemon, maybe even more than you! Plus, I doubt I was even half as brave as you when I was your age."

"I would like to go with you." Hikari said, looking up to Mimi. A spark of determination was visible in her eyes. "I want to help."

"It'd be hard for me to protect both Mimi and you." Palmon said.

Mimi thought that her partner had been a little blunt but agreed with what she had said. Besides, Hikari didn't have a partner to look out for her and had already gone beyond her limits. The smaller child had cried so much and was still shaking a little, despite the strong front she was now trying to muster. Anyone should be too emotionally strained to do more than she already had done. It wouldn't be right to allow that kid to disregard her well-being even further.

"I appreciate your concern and good intentions, Hikari-chan. But I can't let you come along. I'm sorry about it." Mimi had an apologetic tone. "For now, you should take care of yourself."

After hearing that, Hikari raised her eyebrows slightly and her eyes widened. Mimi had the impression that the other girl was debating whether to say something in response. In the end, the younger child stood up and walked to the apartment's front door.

After crossing the door, the little girl stood still for a moment.

"Next time, I'll be of more help." She vowed, without turning back.

"I hope we'll meet again soon." Mimi said.

"Sooner than you expect." Hikari muttered, walking away.

The fourth grader took another look at the address written on the paper the other had given her.

"She didn't tell us everything." Palmon observed.

"I don't feel like she lied to us." Mimi commented. "Hikari-chan has a mysterious air around her but I believe she's a good kid."

"We should go now!" Palmon spoke with conviction. "I swear I'll do everything I can to save your mother!"

* * *

Lilymon flew to the destination indicated on the paper, carrying Mimi firmly in her arms. They were high enough that it would be difficult for anyone to spot them. However, they barely saw anyone on the snow filled streets. Once the digimon landed on the roof of the warehouse that had a public phone booth in the front and the sea at its back, Mimi searched for cookies and a bottle of tea in her bag, to give them to her partner. Lilymon consumed them quickly, recovering the energy she had spent. The girl looked sadly at the now empty package and bottle, reminiscing about the day Tamaki had given that food to her.

"Mimi, I can see both of them!" Lilymon said, peeking into a close roof window. The girl kneeled on the roof and looked through the glass as well. The interior of the warehouse had a thin layer of snow on its floor and several high metallic shelves filled with various boxes. Right below the window, a woman with wavy orange hair wearing a yellow coat with rose drawings was seemingly asleep, lying on the snow. Monzaemon was standing close to her. He looked exactly like the girl remembered him.

"Mama!" Mimi could feel her heart racing in her chest. Was the woman hurt? Did the toy monster do something to her? The girl gulped, remembering how Monzaemon had dismantled and rearranged her friends' souls and wondering if he had done the same to Satoe. The fourth grader wanted to open the window immediately but her partner stopped her in time. Mimi glared at the digimon, who looked at her in a disapproving way.

"We have to sneak in and surprise him!" Lilymon told her. "If we rush in there without a plan, we'll be simply falling into his trap!"

Then, a buzzing sound came from the glass of the roof window, which started to vibrate. Suddenly, it was launched from its spot, going upwards in great speed, propelled by a fierce gust of wind coming from inside the warehouse. Lilymon grabbed Mimi by the right arm reflexively and tried to fly with her to a safe place. However, the gust of wind reversed its trajectory and forcibly pushed them into the large square hole where the glass had been before. Lilymon was able to use her wings to slow both of them down, so they didn't hit the floor at full force. The fairy fell on her back and the girl fell on her partner. Mimi quickly slid to the side and got up.

"Sorry for bringing you in like that." Monzaemon had a tranquil tone of voice. "I couldn't wait any longer to talk to you again, Tachikawa Mi-"

Lilymon immediately stood up and charged against Monzaemon, pushing him to the end of a long corridor between two shelves. She punched the bear, sending him crashing into the wall with great force.

"I won't let you do any harm to Mimi or her family, Monzaemon!" Lilymon roared, delivering consecutive punches on his face. The toy began to giggle.

"What's so funny?!" Lilymon questioned, stopping her right fist a few centimeters from his face. The teddy bear had an immense grin that deeply disturbed her.

"It's funny how everybody keeps assuming I'm Monzaemon." He explained, bemused. "I can understand it when they see this body but not long ago a former priest made the same mistake just by lurking into my mind. It never ceases to amaze me how biases can make people miss things that should be obvious."

"You're not Monzaemon…?" Lilymon murmured as cold sweat covered her face.

"Monzaemon was imprisoned right after the incident in the hotel. His psychic abilities almost drove him mad." He informed. "I appeared to him and as soon as I let him know who I was, he begged me for enlightenment. It was too much for his mind, though." He chuckled. "Monzaemon's mind was destroyed by his own recklessness and I got an empty shell to wear. Everything worked out for everybody. Don't you agree, _Banchou_?"

Involuntarily, Lilymon took a couple of steps back. She stretched her arms at her front and formed a flower cannon pointed to Monzaemon. Nevertheless, she didn't fire it.

"What do you know about me?!" She questioned. "Who are you?!"

"I know everything about you." He had a cheerful tone. "I've been watching you since the beginning. I saw you rising to fight Seraphimon and being murdered by him. And I arranged for you to meet him again in this new life and set things straight."

"Arranged?" Lilymon began to shake. "T-That's not possible!"

"Did you think it was all just a series of coincidences?" The other inquired.

"What else could it be?" The fairy asked, afraid of the answer.

He stayed quiet for a few moments, smiling at her. His response came out suddenly and destructively:

"Fate."

In her previous life, she used to think that Fate was nothing more than a story told by self-righteous megalomaniacs. That was how she saw that angel. When she heard Jyou's story, still without remembering the past, she felt a knot forming in her throat and horror rising from the depths of her heart. Not so much for what that creature had done to Koushiro, but for something else.

Now, it all made sense. Subconsciously, she had the confirmation of a terrible truth. Seraphimon wasn't just a tyrant with delusions of greatness. He had in fact been chosen by the Spirit of the World. God had willingly given power to an atrocious being that brought death and destruction upon countless innocents.

And that same God had brought the tyrant back and disguised him as her friend.

Poyomon, Tokomon, Patamon… the biggest cry-baby among the chosen digimon. But also the sweetest and most caring among them. The one who had the warmest smiles and purest tears. He didn't know about his past. After knowing, he swore he wouldn't return to his old ways. How could she believe him? She knew what he was capable of! However, she also knew Patamon. Or she thought she knew.

What was his true nature? What did she want him to be?

"You're going to get tired of pointing that canon to me." Fate commented, pointing at the flower cannon Lilymon was still sustaining. "Aren't you going to fire it?"

"Even if I kill Monzaemon, I won't be able to kill you." Lilymon said, keeping her arms up. "But if you try anything, I'll shoot."

"If my host dies I'll just retreat to my medium in the human world. That's to say: the snow." He let her know. "I'm everywhere, all the time. Aware of everything. And nobody is capable of bringing me harm."

"Did you bring me here just to show off?" She inquired.

"I just want to talk to you." The other said.

He wanted to talk to her. He had abducted Mimi's mother and scared a child just so he could talk to her. Talk about what? With what purpose?

"You don't give a damn, do you?" Lilymon asked. "To you destroying lives is a form of fun, isn't that right?"

"Well, I can't deny it's entertaining." Fate smirked. "Do you know what's my favorite hobby? To mess with people's heads. Humans and digimon alike like to believe that they're special. If a deity appears before them and feeds their ego, what do you think would happen?"

"Is that what you did to Seraphimon?" She inquired. "You filled his head and convinced him that he was a savior and that everything that he did was right?"

"I simply told him what he wanted to hear." The other explained. "He wanted to end the violence and bring peace to his world. And, for that, he wanted power. What he did with what I gave him was his responsibility."

"Didn't you know what he was going to do?" She questioned, irritated.

"Of course I knew." The Spirit confirmed. "I needed things to play out like that."

"Why?" Lilymon asked, despite knowing the answer for that. Everything was a game for that creature. It molded lives the way it wanted and crushed them to have fun. Every digimon was nothing more than a toy for Fate. Even her…

"I don't intend to let you know about my goals." He answered. "That's not why I brought you here."

"You brought me here to play games with me."Lilymon spoke with spite. "You've been playing with me since the beginning. Was it funny to see me rebelling against your chosen one? To see how my efforts and hopes were pointless?"

She felt that she could start to cry but held the tears in. Lilymon had learned that trick a long time ago. Her followers had looked up to her; she had to assure them that she was strong and brave. They counted on her to save them. She wanted to do that and tried so hard. Fought so hard and relentlessly, not knowing it was a lost battle.

"I brought you here because I want to help you." Fate told her, gently.

"Do you expect me to believe in that?!" Lilymon raised her voice. "You don't want to help anyone!"

"I want to help your partner and the other chosen children. I wouldn't have chosen them if that wasn't my intention."

"Chosen them…?" She repeated slowly.

"I put the data of those children in the computers of the Academy. Then, Kanda chose you and the other digimon because of your compatible personalities to theirs." He smiled largely. "In retrospect, it's interesting that Mimi and Takeru had so many disagreements. You and Patamon were once at opposite sides but now you're allies! Now, you can overcome your differences and combine your forces for the sake of-"

"THAT MURDERER IS NOT MY ALLY!" Lilymon roared. "He destroyed entire villages! He massacred innocents! He killed my friends! HE KILLED ME!"

She could no longer keep the tears inside when the memories of her past life resurfaced more rapidly. Lilymon saw herself back in the battlefields that reeked of blood. The dying voices of those left in agony begged for her help. All she could do was to fight. All she could hope for was to stop that tyrant.

"Don't you believe he changed?" The Spirit questioned. "Haven't you gotten to know him well enough in this life?"

"Lies!" Lilymon shouted. "Everything I thought I knew about him was false! Isn't he essentially the same mass killer from that time? You can't change who you are! Not really!"

Even when she didn't remember, she knew who she was. She knew she had to fight for something greater than herself. She believed in justice. And although she had come to know the truth, her combative spirit wasn't broken. Even if she knew that it was probably a lost battle, she wouldn't give up.

If Lilymon was still the same, how could Patamon not be? He easily gave in to Fate when Fangmon had him cornered. What would stop him from doing that again? What would stop him from believing once more that he was a savior and that everybody that opposed him deserved to be crushed?

If nothing else, if nobody else, it would have to be her.

"You can't evolve further if you can't overcome your past." Fate had a somber voice. "That stubbornness will only make things harder for you."

"Things have never been easy for me." Lilymon contested.

She shot her cannon at the toy monster, disintegrating his body. That might have been a futile victory, but it was still a win, nevertheless. Not unlike the ones she had conquered in her time as the strongest fairy.

Fleeting, small steps forward that would eventually feel futile. But did they feel great when she was taking them. She felt at those times that, against all odds, she could mold her own destiny. And that made her proud.

* * *

Mimi rushed to her mother and kneeled next to her. The woman had snowflakes stuck in her hair and a peaceful expression on her face.

"Mama, wake up!" Mimi pleaded, shaking Satoe's shoulder and fighting the tears coming to her eyes. _Please, be okay!_ She begged mentally.

The woman slowly opened her eyes and looked at Mimi. An almost unnoticeable smile appeared on the mother's lips. That sent chills down the girl's spine. Whenever Satoe smiled, it was always largely and overtly cheerfully. Her eyes used to shine with joy whenever she saw her daughter. But now, the woman's eyes had not even a spark of glee in them. Mimi couldn't recognize her mother in that person.

"What did he do to you?" Mimi questioned, feeling her heart tearing itself apart. Many tears escaped her eyes at once.

"Your mother will be perfectly fine." The woman said, calmly. "She's just sleeping right now."

Horror froze Mimi in her spot. The woman sat up and faced her.

"It's a pleasure to finally speak to you, Tachikawa Mimi."

The girl crawled back and then shakily stood up. She watched the woman in her front rising to her feet as well while letting her arms fall to the sides of her body. The little smile she had been showing was replaced by an enormous grin.

"Who are you?" Mimi inquired, grabbing her bag and holding it in front of her body.

"I'm known by many names." The other replied. "My creator had named me 'Homeostasis,' after entities he had encountered in other universes. Digimon have given me other names. The most common ones in the Digital World you came to know are 'Spirit of the World' and 'Fate.' I have to say that my favorite was the one Kido Jyou gave me." She chuckled. "I think it was… 'dumb stinky faulty machine.'"

"You…" Mimi uttered, letting the bag escape from her hands with its strap hanging from her left shoulder. All reminiscence of fear she had was being swallowed by an eruption of rage that shook her core. She glared at the woman and shouted:

"YOU'RE THE THING THAT TRIED TO KILL KOUSHIRO-KUN!"

"Marvelous!" The other exclaimed, clapping her hands enthusiastically. "I've always admired your ferocity!"

"Shut the hell up, you demon!" Mimi ordered, clenching her fists. "What kind of twisted creature torments a boy by pretending to be his dead parents and telling him to-" The girl gasped as tears burned her eyes. She tried to take air in but just coughed, slightly bending her body and putting her hands on her knees. Sweat covered her face as she lifted it to once again look at the creature possessing her mother's body. The Spirit of the World no longer sustained the same vicious grin from before. In its place, there was a cheerful smile identical to the one that was Satoe's signature feature. The difference was that her eyes had no sparkle at all, showing a dark streak alien to the daughter. Mimi felt so sick she thought she could throw up.

"I simply gave a self-destructive child what he truly wanted." Fate said that with ease.

"HE DIDN'T WANT THAT!" Mimi roared, straightening her posture.

"Izumi Koushiro deserved it, regardless." The other stated in an icy tone, dropping the smile. "He deserves so much worse than what I've done to him."

"What do you mean by that?" Mimi asked, disturbed. "Koushiro-kun is a good person! He doesn't deserve anything awful like what you did!"

A spasm was visible on the corner of the woman's mouth. Her eyebrows twitched and she inhaled heavily, crossing her arms. Mimi noticed how her body language became more rigid, as if trying to enclosure something.

"813." Fate said in low voice. "That's how many digimon died in Kanda's base because of the crack Izumi Koushiro destabilized to enable your escape."

"He did it to save our lives! There was no other choice!" Mimi shouted, taking a step forward.

"Of course there was another choice." The other stated. "You could've surrendered and tried to talk to your captors. Maybe you could all _understand_ one another. They could be _willing to listen_ and you could find a _peaceful resolution_."

Mimi was paralyzed by the mocking tone present in her mother's voice.

"Stop!" Mimi ordered. Those digimon were determined to kill them in a horrific way. They wouldn't listen! The children couldn't afford to risk themselves like that. _There was no other choice!_ She repeated to herself. That thought, however, left a sour taste in her mouth.

"But isn't everything simply a matter of _different points of views_?" Fate insisted, giving her a disapproving look. "The girl who made a speech filled with hope to a town torn by hatred should've tried to solve that situation without hurting anyone, don't you think? Shouldn't you have chosen a better solution than brutality?"

"Enough!" Mimi cried, shutting her eyes closed and covering her ears with her hands. "We would have died for sure if we had done that! Nobody would agree with that idea anyway!"

"And now you're shifting the blame to the others." Fate commented. "You just stood by and let everything happen. In that sense, you think there's no blood on your hands."

"I'm not shifting the blame!" The girl denied. Her heart was beating so fast that she could almost listen to it. "Nobody was in fault… we were just trying to survive!"

"Then, what you did was the right decision?" The Spirit of the World inquired. "Do you acknowledge that the annihilation of Vamdemon's army was worth your survival? It was acceptable to sacrifice 813 lives to save 10?"

"Of course it wasn't right!" Mimi admitted, opening her eyes and letting thick tears fall from them. "I wish nobody had died! I wish our situation wasn't so desperate! But that's not how it happened! We did what we could do!"

"I see." Fate said. "It was a desperate situation. One can't expect too much from people under extraordinary circumstances. You all were scared of death, isn't that right?"

"We were scared…" The child confirmed. "Everything was happening so fast… we didn't have enough time to think things through!"

"If you had that time, would you have done anything different?"

Mimi didn't have an answer for that. If they had more time… it wasn't simply a matter of time, though. They were all trapped, without any way to escape or to communicate with the invaders. Maybe if Mimi could have talked to them… would it have made any difference? Would her good intentions reach monsters that had hated the chosen children since long before she arrived there?

Etemon had heard her, but that was one case. Didn't Babamon then murder the Mayor? Didn't she put the blame on the chosen children? What effect did her inspired speech have on the mob of angry digimon that attacked Jyou and Koushiro in Aurora Town? Had Kanda not arrived there, would they still be alive? Yet, there was so much praise for her ability with words. For her empathy…

It had begun naturally, with her simply wanting to help the other children. In which point did that begin to feel like something she was supposed to do? But the worst was not that. Despite people telling her how admirable her heart was, she could still sense veiled criticism.

She was kindhearted but naive.

She would have to compromise.

She would have to fight someday.

Mimi was constantly being pulled in opposite directions while doing her best to stay true to herself. That was the most important thing. The child didn't want to lose who she was. She didn't want to change herself to be what others wanted. Mimi enjoyed being herself and wanted to stay as herself.

And despite all her effort, she couldn't stop feeling she wasn't the same anymore.

Her home felt different.

Her toys bothered her.

Her schoolmates in the bus annoyed her.

Now, she was being questioned by a demon that had possessed her mother's body. And that demon was calling her out for her contradictions. As if it was entitled to pass judgment on her.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Mimi's question came out in the coldest tone she had ever used.

The woman slightly raised her eyebrows and paled. Then, she put on a serious yet serene expression and replied:

"I am the Spirit of the World."

"Do you think you're some kind of god?" Mimi inquired. The other took almost a minute to speak again:

"I've been in 362 different universes, from their beginnings to their ends. Nothing is as old as me. Nor as knowledgeable. Nor as powerful."

"Oh, I've heard that story from Jyou-san already." Mimi said. "I've also heard that you gave power to a tyrant that murdered my friend a long time ago."

"Then I made his sister murder him." Fate added. "After that, the Academy brought the first chosen children to the Digital World and they trapped her in a different dimension. Following that, Kanda took control of the Academy, fought the remains of the Sanctuary and brought you to that world, believing that Nanomon had chosen you."

"You let it all happen!" Mimi spoke with spite. "You let Tamaki-san and the others, Palmon and uncountable digimon suffer and did nothing to help them! And yet you think you can call me a hypocrite?!"

The girl clenched her fists and glared at the other with more intensity.

"I didn't want to go to the Digital World!" She stated. "I didn't want to see anyone dying or suffering! I didn't enjoy any of that! But I still did my best! And considering that I had never gone through anything similar before, the best I could do was a lot! I'm not going to stay still and let you shame me for not doing as well as you wanted! I'm not going to let you shame me for wanting to survive and come back home! I might have the crest of purity, I might sincerely want to help others, but don't you think for one second that I'm the kind of person who would gladly sacrifice herself for values! I like myself and I like being alive too damn much to be that selfless!"

The woman began to laugh.

"You're truly splendid!" The Spirit praised her. "No matter what I do, you keep on finding your way back up. You're like a flower that blooms in adversity."

"What kind of game are you playing now?" The girl inquired. "What do you want from me?!"

"I want you to be as strong as possible and fulfill the role I've prepared for you." Fate replied.

"What…?" Mimi mumbled, paling intensively.

"Why do you think I'm called 'Fate' by so many?" The other continued. "I stopped being a mere watcher a long time ago. Everything that happened in the Digital World you visited…" The woman took a few steps forward, getting closer to the child. "All the wars, all the deaths, all the hatred, all the heartbreaks, the traumas… I arranged for everything to happen that way. All of those unfortunate creatures were living the roles I prepared for them. When a creature is as old as me, people can become outstandingly predictable."

Mimi thought that she would crumble at any moment under the weight of those words. Various memories flashed before her eyes: the original chosen children and their despair, the misery her friends went through, Angemon turning into particles of light, Devimon's sad expression when he died, the fears of the inhabitants of Aurora Town, Tonosamageckomon's hopes of a better future, Babamon's betrayal, Kuwagamon's agonizing death, Palmon's former life…

All of that had happened because Fate wanted it?

"Why?"

That was the only word that made its way out of the girl's lips. The woman showed her a large and warm smile, too similar to the one Satoe used to have.

"Have you ever seen someone playing chess alone?" Fate asked, sounding nostalgic. "Imagine that the pieces are alive and that they don't know they're in a board game. Imagine that they think they're making their choices freely. The Queen, able to cross as many houses as she wants in whatever direction she wants, would believe she is the freest and strongest of them all. Maybe they would believe the player is a god that has their best interests in heart. The pieces would keep on slaughtering one another, believing completely that they're right and that god is on their side. But in this case, 'god' is commanding both armies and gets to decide which one wins solely based on a whim. It all boils down to which outcome is more interesting. Once the game is over, the player can rearrange the pieces and start again. That entertainment can last indefinitely."

"Entertainment…?" Mimi had no life left in her voice. "Is that what they… what we are to you...?"

"Hey, don't worry!" The Spirit of the World adopted a cheerful tone. "Right now, I'm rooting for you and the other chosen children! As long as you don't get boring, you're going to win!"

 _Boring… entertainment… chess pieces…_ those words echoed in her mind louder and louder. Mimi was feeling increasingly sick and wished to run from that place. When she was little and felt bad, the girl would tell her mother everything that bothered her, sometimes crying on her lap. Satoe would caress her head and promise that everything would be alright. Mimi would look at her mother's smile and believe in those words. But now, the person that had brought her peace her whole life and the smile that had saved her for so many years were being used to bring her despair. Was that another joy destroyed by the Digital World?

"Am I your pawn…?" She asked in a pained whisper. All the decisions she had made were predicted by that creature? All the times she thought to be choosing her paths freely, was she in fact doing what the Spirit wanted? Without realizing it, was she completely manipulated by the circumstances that thing had set for her? And all of it just for the sake of a game that already had an established result.

"You're a Queen! And not the only one among the chosen children." Fate told her, grinning. "You might even be able to surprise me someday."

Those words didn't make her feel any better. They rather confirmed that she was being used by that entity, that the pieces of her broken heart were nothing but stepping stones for Fate's amusement.

"I guess you have a lot to think about now." The Spirit said. "I look forward to how you'll bloom from now on."

The woman sat on the snow-covered floor and closed her eyes.

After two minutes, Satoe slowly opened her eyes.

"Mimi-chan?" She asked. "Weren't you in the camp? What are you doing h-?" She looked around, noticing that they were in a warehouse. "W-What are we doing here? Where are we?!"

"Mama…?" Mimi asked, weakly. It really was her mother, right? She had returned! The girl wanted to throw herself in the woman's arms and cry all of her pain out. She wanted to let herself to be pampered and to be told that everything would be alright.

But she couldn't.

When Mimi looked at her mother, she couldn't stop thinking about Fate. She couldn't let go of the idea that the Spirit was still watching her through Satoe's eyes, waiting for the girl to be in her most vulnerable point to attack again. How could Mimi be sure that it was really her mother looking back at her? What if it was still Fate there, pretending to be her to further play with the child's heart?

Numbed by those thoughts, Mimi told the other what had happened in the Digital World. She didn't feel like she was telling her mother anything, but rather searching for clues of surprise, anything that indicated that Satoe was really there. The woman's face was getting increasingly paler and her body was shaking. More than once, she interrupted the narrative to ask her daughter to stop joking like that. But Mimi continued, surprised at her ability to keep going without crying even once. Almost as if she wasn't the one saying those things, but hearing the story from someone else, from a considerable distance, right before falling into slumber.

When her partner, now as Palmon, returned from wherever she had been, Satoe had no other choice but to accept that everything her daughter had said was true. She cried loudly, apologized and pulled the girl to a tight hug. The mother kept apologizing for things that had been out of her control, asking hysterically how could she be kidnapped by a toy and be possessed by an evil deity.

Mimi felt the other's grip getting tighter. Her mother's desperate sobs flooded her ears. The woman's tears washed her shoulder. Still, the child couldn't react. She couldn't say a thing or shed a tear. She sank into a silent darkness, gladly letting reality slip away. Maybe when she woke up, she would recognize her life again. Maybe she would see that the nightmare was over.

* * *

"You fainted." Palmon told her by the side of her bed. Satoe had put her in pajamas and put the covers until the girl's neck. Despite sleeping for hours, the child seemed more exhausted than before. "Your mother called a taxi using that public telephone in front of the warehouse. When we arrived here, she called your father. The phone is working again." Palmon was getting distressed at her friend's lack of response and expressionless face. "Fate said it exists in the snow or something like that. Maybe it had something to do with it."

"Fate possessed Monzaemon too..." Mimi murmured.

"Your mother told me what you told her. She's pretty messed up." Palmon said. "I think she's telling your father now. I heard crying coming from their bedroom."

Not even that information made the girl react. She simply kept looking at the digimon with tired eyes.

"Fate wanted to make me forget about my past but I refused to do it!" Palmon spoke with more energy. "I'll show that thing that I'll never forget who I am! We'll show it, won't we?"

Mimi sat up on the bed, looking away from her partner. The girl searched for her sandals at the floor and put them on, getting on her feet then.

"We'll both show Fate, right?" Palmon insisted. "You too! Because you're Tachikawa Mimi and you won't let anyone take that from you!"

Mimi looked at her friend's face and spotted small tears at the corners of her eyes. She should feel bad about making her upset, like she should've felt bad for making her mother cry, if that was really her mother. But everything still felt too distant and too different. Mimi was standing up but couldn't feel the floor under her feet. There was no warmth in her house. Neither there was anything she wanted to do.

Mimi looked at her friend's eyes and couldn't feel anything at all beyond tiredness. The girl didn't feel like herself anymore. Would that ever change?

She walked alone to the kitchen and found the notepad with the telephone numbers. There was something she had to know and only one person could tell her. Mimi dialed the number and waited for a response.

"Hello? Izumi residence."

"If I give you my address, will you come over?"

"Mimi-san? Is this you?"

"You felt Fate's presence last time. You know how… you know better than anyone… I need to talk to you…"

"… What happened?"

Not much later, they met.

Nothing would be the same again.

 **Thank you for reading and reviewing.**


	29. Winter child

"SNOW!" The four-year-old yelled as countless white flakes fell on the building's courtyard. Yoshie observed closely as the little boy danced and waved his arms upwards. She didn't believe there could be greater joy than the one Koushiro was experiencing.

"Snow is so cool, Mommy!" The child exclaimed, trying to catch the snowflakes in his hands. "It's pretty!"

"Of course it is, Winter child." She said, smiling at him. Ever since she could remember, that boy loved everything that had to do with snow and Winter in general. It only made sense to call him that, despite that nickname reminding her of sad truths.

She called him that for that precise reason.

"Yoshie?" Masami, her husband, called her. He was walking in her direction, hiding something behind his back. Whatever the surprise was, his expression told her it would not be pleasant.

"I was cleaning the cabinet…" Masami mumbled, showing the violin case he had been keeping behind himself.

"Put it back where you found it." Yoshie ordered him, looking away.

"You loved this violin since you were a kid." He reminded her. "You played it every day for years. Remember how happy you were when you played to our-"

"I was playing it when I lost him." She interrupted, coldly.

"Hasn't it been long enough?" Masami asked. "This was so important to you… one bad experience shouldn't-"

"My son died." She affirmed, clenching her fists. "He died before being born… the music from that violin might have been the last thing he heard."

Masami looked down, feeling guilty.

"Daddy!" Koushiro ran to his father's arms and the man hugged him tightly. The boy soon noticed the violin's case the man was still holding in his right hand.

"What's this?" The child asked.

"Your Mommy's old violin." Masami replied, without thinking too much. Then, he noticed his wife glaring at him.

"Mommy plays violin? That's so cool!" He said, grabbing the case and taking it to his mother. "Mommy, could you play for me?"

Yoshie was able to keep all of her tears inside after that request. She lowered her body and caressed the boy's face.

"How about you play in the snow a bit more?" She suggested. "There's nothing fun in playing a violin."

Koushiro didn't think much of that and did as the woman said. She took the case back and secured it in her arms, protectively.

"It would make him happy if you played to him." Masami told her. "It would make me happy as well… and you…"

"I'll never play this again." Yoshie vowed.

"Then, why do you keep it around?" He inquired. "Why don't you get rid of it?"

She looked into his eyes, sadly, and replied:

"So I can remember."

 **Chapter 29: Winter child**

Hikari found herself standing in front of her apartment's door. She couldn't tell how long she had stood there, looking at the placard with the name "Yagami" written on it. She had heard her brother's voice inside but didn't enter. It was like all the energy she had in her body had been spent in the walk back to her home.

Suddenly, Taichi opened the door. He had a jeans jacket on and a nervous expression. The second he saw his sister, he grabbed her by the shoulders with his trembling hands.

"Where have you been?!" He nearly snapped at her. "I came home and found nobody! I tried to call Daisuke but the phone isn't connecting! I thought you had gotten worse and Mom and Dad had taken you to the hospital, but I didn't know which hospital it was! I was about to go looking for you without a clue-"

The moment he saw her tears, Taichi forgot about himself.

"Sorry!" He apologized. "I didn't want to make you cry. I was just really worried..." He rubbed his eyes, not allowing any tear to fall from them. "Where are Mom and Dad? And why were you outside when you're sick?"

When he put his right palm on her forehead, Taichi realized that she didn't have a fever. Instead, his sister' face was covered in cold sweat.

"I l-lied to you…" She confessed, among sobs. "I didn't want to go to the c-camp… but I didn't want to let you down… I-I'm sorry…"

"Hey, don't worry." Taichi said, gently pulling her to a hug. "You could've told me that you didn't want to go to the camp. I wouldn't have gotten mad at you or anything." He caressed her head with his right hand. "It's because Daisuke broke his arm and couldn't go with you? I didn't want to make you feel obliged to go, I just… I insisted because I thought you would make more friends…"

Hikari's sobs increased as she buried her face on his left shoulder. Her entire body was trembling with such intensity that Taichi was afraid she could have a convulsion.

"S-Stop crying, Hikari." He pleaded. "How about I do something tasty? Would you like that? I bet it'll make you feel better."

"I'm horrid!" The girl muttered. "I'm the worst… the worst…"

"Don't be ridiculous, you're the nicest person alive!" Taichi assured her. "You're sweet and kind and you're always thoughtful! Why are you beating yourself over something silly like that? I've faked sickness sometimes to avoid school tests! It's the kind of thing everybody does eventually!"

"You don't understand!" Hikari shouted, breaking the hug and taking a step away. She kept her eyes fixated on the floor.

"Hikari… did something happen?" Taichi murmured, fearfully. "Are you in trouble? I need you to tell me what's going on so I can help you!"

She looked up to him. His concerned face broke her heart. What was Hikari doing, making her brother worried like that? Taichi didn't need to know about what she was going through.

"Sorry, Onii-chan." She said, wiping her tears with the back of her left hand. "I was overreacting about something silly."

"Is that really true?" Taichi asked, doubtful.

"Mom and Dad went to visit Grandma because she wasn't well. They're stuck there and can't come home because of the snow. I went out to buy ice-cream." Hikari told him.

"Why did you take so long to return?" Taichi inquired.

"Someone needed my help." Hikari told him. Her brother didn't ask further questions.

"Always putting other people first. You're such a good girl." The boy said, sighing. The girl walked into the apartment, without looking at him.

"I'm a little tired. Is it okay if I take a nap?" Hikari asked, on the way to their bedroom.

"Of course it's okay!" Taichi assured her, turning around in time to see his sister entering the corridor. "Don't worry about anything when I'm around."

* * *

He found her sitting on a bench. At her back, a large glass window let the blinding sun light in. The intense heat should be too much for her. Nevertheless, Hikari waited for his arrival, watching the thick darkness that surrounded the luminous spot where she was.

"Did you get tired of the flower shop?" He asked, hidden in the shadows in front of her.

"You lied to me." The girl stated, holding the edges of the bench. "Everything, since the beginning…" She felt tears coming to her eyes but resisted the urge to cry. "You've been deceiving me from the start!"

"I've never lied to you, Hikari-san!" He made an affirmation. "Among all the living things from over 300 universes, you're the only one I've ever been completely honest with!"

"You never lied to me?" The girl said that with scorn, jumping from the bench and walking forward. The sun light illuminated the path ahead of her. Soon, his silhouette became distinguished from the shadows surrounding him. Hikari could almost discern his dark eyes looking at her. She stopped one step away from him and stared at the other with ferocity.

"You told me that you only had the best interests of the Digital World in mind!" She reminded him. "You told me that you were the greatest ally of the chosen children! That you wanted to make them stronger and help them in their mission!"

"All of that is true."

"NO! IT'S NOT!" Hikari roared. "If it was true, you wouldn't have taken Mimi-san's mother as hostage! You wouldn't have possessed Monzaemon and forced me-"

"I never forced you to do anything, Hikari-san!" He interrupted. "When I made Satoe-san faint and picked her up using Monzaemon's body and you approached me, telling me to stop, I told you that it was me in there and that I had no intention of causing her harm! I told you that I needed you to make Mimi-san and her partner meet me in the docks, and they would only come if they were afraid Monzaemon would hurt Satoe-san! You knew I had no bad intentions! Isn't that why you helped me?"

"I didn't know anything!" Hikari cried. "You gave me that paper and told me those things and then just walked away! I didn't have the chance to say anything back! I was too shocked! I had never expected you to do something like that, I couldn't trust you anymore! I couldn't trust that you would keep your word about not hurting her!"

She didn't care about stopping her tears anymore. Hikari expressed her pain in its fullest, not holding herself back any longer.

"I thought you were playing along." His voice sounded ashamed. "After all these years we've talked to each other, I thought you knew me well enough to understand that I had no bad intentions."

"You scared me!" Hikari stated in low voice. "What must Mimi-san have felt? How is she now?"

"Monzaemon was destroyed by Lilymon and Satoe-san has no memory from the second I made her faint to the moment when I left her body," he narrated. "Mimi-san is very shaken and upset right now but she'll recover soon. And she's going to be far stronger when she does."

"Do you think that justifies what you did?" Hikari inquired. "You don't have any right to be cruel to others, no matter how much you believe you're helping them by acting like that! I can't forgive you for what you did!"

He stayed quiet for a couple of seconds, before replying:

"In the end, you'll forgive me, even if moved simply by fear of solitude."

"You're not my only friend." The girl informed.

"But I'm your best one." The other said back. "And I dare to say that even after you meet Tailmon, you won't be as close to her as you are to me. To all the other people in your life, including your family, you only show the smiling nice girl who's seemingly incapable of feeling anger. You know I'm the only one you can show your true self to. That's heartbreaking and infuriating, but it's the sad truth you can't escape from, unless you start opening your heart to other people."

Hikari frowned, looking down. She embraced herself, trembling under the weight of her shame. The girl knew that he was right, but she couldn't accept what he was doing.

"I want you to leave the other chosen children in peace." She told him.

"I can't do that." He said. "I've planned too many things to help in their growth and they're already in motion. Vamdemon is already in the human world. I can't stop now."

Hikari looked up to him. Her eyes were filled with cold determination.

"If you don't do as I say, go find someone else you can confide to! I won't let you come back into my inner world unless you do as you're told!"

She could see his silhouette tremble and knew she had hit him in the right spot.

"You need me, Hikari-san." He didn't have much conviction in his voice.

"But you need me a lot more than I need you. That's been the basic truth of our friendship for the last four years, my friend." She affirmed. "Get out of here now! I don't want to see you anymore!"

"You can't do that!" The other shouted, stretching his arms in her direction. However his pale fingers hit an invisible wall surrounding the girl. "Hikari-san, let's talk this through! You're not being reasonable!"

"GET OUT!" She ordered one last time. The glass window broke itself behind her and engulfed everything in light.

Hikari woke up in her bed, feeling exhausted. The sound of the howling wind coming from the closed window caught her attention. The girl got on her feet and went to take a peek outside.

There was no part of the sky that wasn't covered by dark clouds.

* * *

Earlier that day, Koushiro and Motimon slowly approached the boy's apartment complex.

The child's large black backpack, where he carried his laptop and the clothes he had taken to the camp, was heavy. So was Motimon in his arms. However, the child knew that the weight he felt pulling him down had nothing to do with gravity. The boy already felt that right after returning to his world and it got worse whenever he looked at the snow below him.

"Are you thinking about Otae-han?" The digimon asked at one point, looking up to his friend. "What happened wasn't your fault."

"I know." Koushiro said in low voice. "It's not as if she would've been better off alone in that desert. At least she had the chance to reconnect with the people who were important to her."

"Too bad she had so little time for that." Motimon murmured.

"Otae-san had more than five thousand years to do something about that but she wasted that time chasing after illusions." The boy mumbled. "She was throwing her life away by hiding herself… and then had very little time to actually live."

The digimon looked down, disheartened by Koushiro's sad expression. Nevertheless, what the human said after that lifted the monster's spirit.

"I can't allow myself to end like her."

After arriving at his address, Koushiro went to one of the lateral walls of the building. He walked through a thick layer of snow and made his way to his bedroom's window. The boy slid the window open and placed his friend inside, over his desk.

"Your home's door is tiny, Koushiro-han." Motimon commented. The small creature took off the shirt that had been enveloping him on his partner's desk. The room where he found himself was very clean and organized. To Motimon's right, there was a tidy bed with a cardboard above it, where there were a few papers with notes stuck on it. Next to the bed, there was a medium-size wardrobe. At his left, not too far from the desk, there was a large wooden shelf filled with books of various sizes that completely covered the wall.

"That's actually my bedroom's window." The boy explained, in low voice. "If I walked with you through the front door, my mother would be too shocked."

"But you're going to introduce me to her, right?" Motimon inquired.

"Of course I will." Koushiro promised. "There are many things I want to talk to her about…"

"Like your adoption?" Motimon asked.

"Yes…" The boy confirmed.

"I was worried when you asked if it was a good idea to let your parents know about what had happened in the Digital World." The digimon told him. "I thought you were going to lie about me."

"I'll tell them what they need to know but not every detail." Koushiro murmured.

"Not every detail?" Motimon repeated, frowning. "You mean…"

"I have no intention of touching the subject of Fate." The boy explained. "It's not necessary for them to know about it… it doesn't have to be part of their lives."

"Is that going to be good for you, though?" The digimon was concerned.

"Fate is a thing of the past; I don't have to think about it anymore." Koushiro affirmed. "I need to move forward with my life."

"You still have me to talk about it if you need to." Motimon let him know.

"Thank you." The boy smiled at his friend. "But there won't be need for that. I'm fine now. Really."

"Ok, then…"

Koushiro slowly closed the window and walked away. Some of the snow accumulated on the ground touched the lower part of his legs, which his shorts didn't cover. Chills ran through his body as Koushiro hurried to enter the building.

He felt his heart sink as he paid more attention to the whiteness surrounding him. Years ago, snow was one of his favorite things in the world. Back before he had ruined so many things that used to bring him joy.

Koushiro wouldn't let that happen again. He wouldn't keep on setting traps for himself and destroying happiness over lies his mind fabricated. Instead, he had to live!

The boy knocked on his apartment's front door, before opening it. His mother was talking to someone on the phone. As soon as she saw him, she said goodbye to her friend.

"Was the camp canceled because of the snow?" The woman asked, showing him the warm smile that Koushiro hadn't realized how much he had missed. He nodded, keeping his eyes on his mother's face. She seemed more beautiful than before.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She questioned, worried.

"I missed you." He replied, smiling softly.

"It's been less than a day since you went to the camp." Yoshie said, hanging up the phone and dedicating all her attention to the boy.

"From my point of view, it was five days." Koushiro was surprised by his own bluntness. He wasn't supposed to talk about the Digital World before telling her that he knew about his adoption. But the former felt so much easier. He couldn't back down after starting it. "Perks of going to another world where time passes differently, I guess…"

"I don't understand what you're talking about." Yoshie told him, with a concerned expression.

"What I'm about to say will sound absurd but I swear it's all true. Please, believe in me." The boy pleaded.

"Of course I'm going to believe you." Yoshie promised. "How about we sit down and you explain everything from the beginning."

"Alright." Koushiro agreed. They sat at the wooden table where the Izumi family had their meals. The boy took off his coat and placed it on the chair where he sat. He left his backpack on the floor, close to the table.

"Ok, then. Alright." He exhaled a couple of times before beginning the narration. "Four other kids and I… I knew three of them already. There was Jyou-san, and Sora-san from the soccer club, and Mimi-san from my class. And Takeru-kun, that I didn't know before, but I yelled at him later… no, wait, I'm not explaining things right!"

"Calm down, dear." Yoshie attempted to soothe her son by placing her right hand over his left one.

"Ok." Koushiro said to himself, taking a deep breath. "So, there were those little machines that fell from the sky, the digivices." He took his digivice from the coat's pocket and placed it on the table, which made his mother intrigued. "They came from the sky after an aurora appeared. It shouldn't be possible for an aurora to be seen there. It also wasn't supposed to snow, but maybe those things were caused by the portal that Kanda-san opened to suck us to the Digital World. By the way, Kanda-san was a clone of one of the original chosen children. There were other three clones… there was Otae-san…" He lost track of his narration.

"… Digital World?" Yoshie asked.

"What? Oh, right!" Koushiro was brought back to reality. "That's a world made of data and inhabited by monsters. Each of us had a digimon partner that evolved to protect us from other monsters that wanted to kill us."

"Wanted to what…? Monsters?!" Yoshie questioned, getting increasingly paler.

"But we all made it back to our world! We're fine!" Koushiro hurried to say. "We're safe now! There's nothing to worry about! Everything turned out ok! We're fine! And Motimon is in my bedroom. He's my partner. He's a really nice monster and I like him a lot. He likes me as well and helped me many times." The child smiled. "He helped me to deal with some dark stuff… things that I had kept inside for too long and…"

Koushiro felt that he could no longer avoid the subject of his adoption. He had to be brave and face that challenge, in order to move on.

"Dear, could you start over? I don't understand what you're trying to tell me." Yoshie asked, scratching her forehead. "Are you using metaphors? Could you be clearer, please?"

Koushiro looked at her attentively and gathered all of his determination to let that one sentence out. The sentence he had locked inside for years, because of his fear that everything would change after he said it aloud. A decision that had made _him_ change for the worse.

"I know that I'm adopted."

The silence that followed was the worst that the boy had ever experienced. His mother stared at him with wide open eyes and half opened mouth. She looked down for a few seconds and then looked up again. Still, she didn't muster a word.

"I overheard you and Father talking about it when I was seven years old." Koushiro informed, looking at the table. "I didn't know if I should bring it up… I… I thought I had to wait until you told me… I thought it wasn't my place… it wasn't right for me to…"

"You had started acting differently around that age." She commented in low voice. "You became overtly polite and less expressive. You stopped going out to play and spent more time locked in your bedroom. You wouldn't complain about anything anymore… I knew that was not how a kid would normally behave. I told Masami so many times… but he insisted that there was nothing wrong… we should've told you sooner!"

Koushiro looked up and saw his mother covering her face with both her hands, possibly crying.

"I'm sorry for keeping this from you!" She apologized. "You deserved to know everything about your real parents! We had no right to keep the truth from you! Even if Masami wanted to protect you… I'm so sorry, Koushiro!"

"It's okay! Please don't be like that!" The boy pleaded, not knowing what to do. "You have nothing to apologize for! You and Father have only ever been wonderful for me! I could never thank you enough for everything you've done for me!"

Yoshie uncovered her face and looked at her son. Two streams of tears were visible. The boy guessed that he had said something bad and a wave of guilt took him over.

"We never did you any favor." She affirmed. "Masami and I love you, Koushiro. You know that, right?"

"I… I know that…" Koushiro told her, looking down. "Of course I know…"

"Then, you should know that you don't have to thank us." Yoshie stated. "We should've done better... You deserved better parents than us."

"I don't want any parents other than the two of you!" Koushiro stated, standing up. "I never wanted other parents and I never will!"

"Why don't you allow yourself to be angry at us?" Yoshie inquired, sadly. "It's okay, dear. You're entitled to that."

"I don't have any reason to be angry at you! It wouldn't make sense for me to be!" The boy affirmed.

"Feelings don't have to make sense. They just have to be felt." She stated. "It's better for you to openly acknowledge the pain we caused than to create complicated metaphors about monsters that want to kill you."

Koushiro blinked, confused at his mother's statement.

"Those weren't metaphors. I really went to a world filled with monsters. And some of them wanted to kill me and my friends."

"Koushiro, honey, it's okay to say things directly. No matter how bad you feel about me, I can take it."

"But I told you, I mean, the digivice, what do you think…?" The boy picked the little machine up and gestured with it, but wasn't being successful in making himself be understood. There was only one way out of that situation. "Mother, please, come to my bedroom."

Yoshie didn't protest and followed him there. When the boy opened the door, they found Motimon sitting on the floor, seemingly waiting for his partner.

"Koushiro-han!" The digimon was happy to see the boy. "Is that…?" He pointed to Yoshie.

"Motimon, this is my mother, Izumi Yoshie. Mother, that is my digimon partner, Motimon." Koushiro introduced them to each other.

"Hello, Yoshie-han, it's a pleasure to meet you!" Motimon greeted.

"D-Don't call her like that, it's rude!" Koushiro asked, flustered. "If anything, call her Izumi-han!"

"But how would I address your other parent, then?" The digimon wondered.

"The same way." The child clarified.

"Wouldn't that be confusing?" Motimon asked.

"T-There's no other choice. I don't want you being impolite to my parents." Koushiro told him.

"That thing is talking…" Yoshie murmured. The other two looked at her and saw a terrified expression on her face.

"Mother, that's my friend Motimon, you don't have to be afraid of him." Koushiro tried to calm her down. "He's not one of the monsters that tried to kill me! He protected me from them!"

"I wasn't very competent at it, though." Motimon murmured.

"This is literally the worst time for you to be self-deprecating!" The child scolded the other. "What is Mother going to think?"

"You're the last person that can criticize me for that!" The digimon responded.

"I'm only trying to make things easier for my mother, but you're not helping very much." Koushiro sighed, crossing his arms.

"It's not like you gave me tips on how I should behave." Motimon pouted.

"Are you two… arguing?" Yoshie asked, surprised.

"N-No!" Koushiro quickly denied. "We weren't, I mean… were we really arguing…?"

"I don't think that was remotely serious enough to qualify as an argument." Motimon said.

"I haven't heard you talking to someone that way ever since you were a little kid." Yoshie told her son. "If you feel comfortable enough to complain to him, then he must be a good friend to you…"

"He's more than that!" Koushiro told her, glancing at his blushing partner on the floor. "Motimon is the best friend I've ever had!"

"Koushiro-han…" Motimon muttered, looking at his partner with tear brimmed eyes.

Yoshie kneeled on the floor and leaned her body in Motimon's direction. She smiled gently at him.

"I don't completely understand who you are but thank you for protecting my son and for being his friend."

"You don't have to…" Motimon gasped. "T-Thank you for your kindness."

Koushiro felt deep happiness as he observed the two of them. Suddenly, the telephone on his desk rang, startling the boy. He picked it up and heard Sora's voice at the other side.

"Hi, Koushiro-kun. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine. Great!" The boy replied, gleefully. "How about you?"

"I'm doing great too." She sounded happy. "There's something urgent that I need to tell you, though."

"Did something happen?" The boy asked, worried. He could feel the eyes of his mother and Motimon on him.

"Picodevimon is in our world." Sora spoke with gravity.

"What…?" Koushiro asked in a weak voice. "A-Are you sure?"

"What is it?" Yoshie questioned.

"What's wrong?" Motimon wanted to know.

"He was looking for something in the snow." Sora informed. "I retrieved a weird device he was using in his search."

Statics noises began to be heard on the line.

"Sora-san? Can you hear me?" Koushiro called, elevating his voice. "Sora-san?"

"Phone… crazy…" Sora's voice was getting cut. "park we practiced soccer… tomorrow morning at 9…"

The telephone became mute. The boy stared at it without saying anything for half a minute, before putting it back on its place.

"Koushiro, you seem scared." Yoshie said, approaching him. The child could see great concern in her eyes. "What did your friend say?"

"I think Sora-san wants us to meet tomorrow morning… I should tell Jyou-san right away…" Koushiro muttered.

"A meeting for what? What's going on?" Motimon inquired.

 _It might not even be the same Picodevimon... it could be just a lost digimon… yeah, maybe just a lost digimon trying to find its way back home… no reason to be alarmed… no reason to…_

"Koushiro!" Yoshie's call brought him back from his thoughts. She looked into his eyes and ordered: "Tell me what's going on!"

"Sora-san saw a digimon but it might be nothing serious." He told her. "The call went down, so I don't know the details. But I'm sure we can deal with it."

"This is bad." Motimon sounded worried. "Why would other digimon come to this world?"

"It could be a lost digimon… and even if the Picodevimon is dangerous, we could deal-"

"Picodevimon?" Motimon paled. "The guy that almost killed Sora-han in Aurora Town?!"

"One of the monsters that want you and your friends dead is here?!" Yoshie was panicking.

"I don't know if it's the same one! It might not be! It might not be anything serious or dangerous! It might…" Koushiro interjected, only then realizing that his hands were shaking. He clenched his fists and headed to the door. "It's going to be fine… it's going to be fine…"

Motimon and Yoshie watched him leaving, exchanging worried glances.

* * *

Koushiro knocked on the door of the Kido family. Soon, Shuu opened it.

"Hey, you're the Izumi kid, right? I haven't seen you in ages!"

"You're one of Jyou-san's brothers…" Koushiro vaguely remembered seeing him a few times. "Is he here? I need to talk to Jyou-san."

"He's taking a nap." Gomamon informed, crawling to the door. "A Wizarmon psychically attacked him, looking for something in his mind."

"He was attacked by a digimon?!" Koushiro felt his heart skip a beat.

"Jyou is okay!" Gomamon tried to calm the boy down. "He broke free from Wizarmon's control. But that exhausted him, which is why he's taking a nap."

"What did you want to talk to Jyou about?" Shuu asked.

"Sora-san saw a Picodevimon and wants us to meet up tomorrow morning, in a park three blocks from here…" Koushiro delivered the message without paying too much attention to it. He felt his knees getting weak and sweat covering his forehead. It wasn't just a lost digimon. It couldn't be that. The logical conclusion was something far more grim.

"Do you think there's an invasion happening?" Gomamon asked.

"An invasion of digimon?!" Shuu asked, afraid. "That sounds dangerous! What should we do about it?"

"It's going to be fine…" Koushiro mumbled. "Almost all of our digimon can reach perfect level. It might be just a few digimon. We can work things out. We can get through this… it's going to be fine…"

"Of course it is!" Gomamon stated, confidently. "We're all strong and we're together! There's nothing to fear at all!"

"Yes…" Koushiro muttered, walking away. He quickly got to the stairs. His apartment was only two floors below but the distance felt much longer than it should. It was becoming harder to breathe and he had to stop and sit on the steps. He took the air in slowly, determined to calm himself down.

 _Don't be afraid!_ He commanded himself. _Being afraid won't solve anything! I need to stay calm. I need to help my friends deal with this. They're going to need my help! I don't have the luxury of having fear paralyzing me!_

He slapped both his cheeks at the same time. Nevertheless, he could still feel his heart pounding.

 _I need to calm down before telling Motimon… I need to… we can do this! We can win and then live the rest of our lives in peace! Everything is going to be alright! I can't let negativity win me over. I have to keep on going... I have to be stronger… I have to… I have to…_

The last image he had of Otae appeared in his mind, ordering him to do the one thing she and the other original chosen children couldn't. If that request wasn't followed, then everything that had been done, everything that had been learned, every heartbreak, every sacrifice, every death… it would all be meaningless.

Koushiro had to persevere because he had to live.

* * *

When Koushiro returned to his apartment, he saw his mother putting dishes on the table and Motimon already having lunch, sitting on the table.

"Motimon-san was hungry. He couldn't wait for you." Yoshie explained.

"Sorry!" The digimon apologized between two spoons full of stew.

"It's okay." Koushiro said, smiling. He noticed that his white coat was on a hanger next to a wall. His backpack wasn't anywhere in sight, so he thought his mother must have taken it to his bedroom. He felt a little guilty for making her go through that work but didn't let it bother him too much. It wasn't that serious of a problem.

After washing his hands, the boy sat at the table to have lunch with his mother. Motimon was visibly stuffed and lay down on the wood to rest. Yoshie's food had always tasted wonderful, but that meal was especially exquisite, in a way Koushiro didn't remember being before.

"You took long to return. Did everything go well with Jyou-kun?" Yoshie asked.

"He was taking a nap. I talked to Gomamon and one of his brothers." Koushiro replied. "I told them about the reunion tomorrow."

"Was it necessary to take an hour and a half for that?" The woman inquired.

 _Did I stay away for that long?_ Koushiro wondered, paling. He had lost the sense of time while calming himself on the stairs. He didn't want to dwell on that subject, so he made up an excuse.

"I was looking at the snow."

That made his mother smile.

"You used to love playing in the snow when you were little." She reminisced.

"Yeah, you even called me 'Winter child,' remember that?" Koushiro asked, wandering through happy memories.

"About that…" Yoshie muttered, looking at her bowl. "There's still something I need to tell you. It'd be better if I showed you. Wait for me, okay?" She added, leaving the table.

Koushiro nodded, watching her walking away. Then, he focused his attention on his partner, who was almost sleeping. The boy stood up and picked Motimon up. He took the small creature to his bed and tucked him under the sheets.

"It was a long day." The boy murmured.

"For you too." Motimon said back, opening his eyes. "It's been a string of long days."

"Things ought to be better now, though."

"It's strange to hear you being optimistic like that." Motimon commented.

"I know better now." The child told him. "After everything I've learned, I can't keep on going down destructive thought patterns anymore."

Motimon looked at him with sad eyes.

"Koushiro-han, it's okay to still feel bad about those things."

"I'm not feeling bad about anything." The boy stated. "I'm fine."

"You went through a lot."

"And I've learned a lot. That's what I should focus on. That's what can make me better." Koushiro affirmed, turning his back to his friend and walking away. "The rest I can forget about."

Once he returned to the table, his mother was already waiting for him. Koushiro sat across from her and noticed a photograph in her hands.

"What's that?" The boy asked as he received the photo from her.

"It's from your parents' wedding." Yoshie explained. The photo showed a couple in traditional wedding clothes holding each other's arms. Yoshie appeared at the side of the bride and Masami next to the groom. There was a placard where it could be read "Yukimura-Fuyokawa wedding."

Koushiro recognized all the four people in the picture. He slowly placed the photo on the table and looked away. The redhead woman and the man with black hair looked exactly the same… just like the people who tried to take his life.

No. Those were tricks created by Fate. They weren't really his biological parents. There was no reason to fear the people in the photo. Still, his heart raced as he looked at them one more time.

"Your father's name was Yukimura Shunsui." Yoshie informed. "When his parents died, he went to live with Masami and his father, who were his distant relatives. Shunsui became a Mathematician and worked in Tokyo University. Your mother taught Physics there…"

Yukimura and Fuyokawa… their family names finally caught his attention. Koushiro looked at the words written on the wedding placard, wishing that they weren't written the way he imagined. But they were. Yukimura was written as Snowy Town. Fuyokawa was written as Winter River. Many things clicked in his mind while fond memories of a childhood nickname became something else.

"Winter child…" Koushiro mumbled. "You called me that because of them…"

"You are their child, after all. It's a relief to finally let you know." Yoshie told him. "You loved snow since you were little. I used to think that you somehow knew that the snow was a connection to your real parents… as if you could feel their love for you through it. Your parents loved you so much, Koushiro. So much… they shouldn't have died so young."

 _My real parents… my parents… she keeps calling them that. As if she didn't see herself as my mother._ Koushiro felt his heart being torn to pieces.

"There are so many things I want to tell you about them!" Yoshie sounded excited. "Masami too! He has many stories about your real father. Some of them are quite funny."

"You don't need to tell me anything about them." Koushiro said, seriously, looking into her eyes. "You and Father are my real parents."

That statement made Yoshie's eyes become more humid and put a timid smile on her face. But soon she looked at her son with severity.

"Your real parents are important too. They were wonderful people and loved you with all their hearts."

"I don't doubt that." Koushiro said, lowering his eyes to stare at his hands. "But the two of you are my parents. You're my family. I don't need to know about other parents that aren't you."

"You've always wanted to know everything about anything." Yoshie affirmed. "You've been a curious child since I remember. I can't understand why you're behaving this way now."

"I'm just not interested in knowing about them. Is that such a bad thing?" Koushiro asked, flipping the photo on the table upside down, so he wouldn't have to look at those people anymore. "I don't want to know."

"That's disrespectful to them!" The woman stated. "They brought you into this world and loved you! They might be watching over you now!"

"Why are you insisting so much on this subject?" Koushiro inquired, looking at her. "Why do you want to force me to hear about them?"

"I've wanted to tell you about your parents since ever but Masami wouldn't let me! He was worried that the truth would disturb you. But now that you know, I can't let the opportunity pass! It wouldn't be right to your real parents!"

"Please, stop calling them that." The boy asked, once again looking down.

"But that's what they were!" Yoshie reiterated.

"Only biologically."

"Don't treat it as if it's not important!" The woman was losing her patience. "Have you ever stopped to think about how it is for a mother to carry her child in her womb for months? How it is to prepare for the arrival of her baby, imagining how that kid is going to be like, planning the rest of her life around this new person growing inside her, feeling the baby moving and kicking, responding to her voice… to her music…"

"What?" Koushiro was confused by the music reference. As far as he knew, Yoshie was the one who used to play violin. He looked up to his mother and saw thick tears accumulating in her wide open eyes and slowly dropping from them. "Mother? What's wrong?"

"Can you imagine that?" She continued, wiping the tears away. "To eagerly wait for your child to be born… imagining how he's going to be and then… he never made any sound…" More tears dropped from her eyes at the same time as her body started to tremble. "I never got to know him… or to play violin to him again… my Makoto…"

"Mother!" Koushiro called, leaving his seat and going to her side. He put his hands on her shoulders and made her face him. "Mother, what's the matter? What are you talking about?"

Yoshie blinked, taking notice of her surroundings again. She took both her hands to her cheeks and seemed surprised to find new tears there. The woman rubbed her eyes, quickly.

"As I was saying… you need to think about your parents' feelings." She added, suddenly standing up and trying to walk away. But Koushiro positioned himself in front of her.

"You weren't talking about my biological mother just now, were you?" He asked in low voice. "Were you talking about…? That Makoto you mentioned…?"

Yoshie looked at him with unspeakable pain, filling the boy with shame for daring to ask about those things.

There really wasn't any need to ask anything. The answers should be obvious. The reason for her to keep on referring to Yukimura and Fuyokawa as his parents, the reason for her to call him Winter child…

Yoshie didn't see herself as his mother, even if she loved him. For her, Koushiro was the child of the Winter, of the Mathematician and the Physicist, of the two people whose images and voices Fate had used to torture him.

Her real child was a baby who didn't get to live. Someone she had never gotten to know. And yet she loved him so much more than she loved Koushiro. That baby meant so much more to her.

Makoto was his parents' real son. A true Izumi. The only child of the Spring that could exist.

The phone rang, startling them both. Yoshie took the opportunity to evade the child, almost running to her bedroom. The boy soon heard a door being slammed in the direction his mother went. A few seconds later, he mechanically walked towards the ringing phone, which was on a table in the living room.

"Hello?" He said, after picking it up. The next pair of words escaped his lips without him thinking. "Izumi residence."

Their residence. Not his. Not really.

"If I give you my address, will you come over?" Mimi asked at the other side of the line.

"Mimi-san?" Koushiro was confused at her uncharacteristically sad tone of voice. "Is that you?"

"You felt Fate's presence last time. You know how…" Her voice was breaking. "… you know better than anyone… I need to talk to you…"

The boy nearly let the phone fall from his hand. Why was she talking about Fate? It couldn't be... it had to be some mistake!

"… What happened?"

* * *

When Koushiro came to himself, he was walking down a street, holding his white coat in his left hand. Confused, he looked around. There was nobody else. Cold wind felt like cutting through his bones. The sky was covered by dark clouds.

He slowly put on the coat he didn't remember picking up, looking down at the shorts he was still wearing and the snickers he had no memory of putting on. His gloveless hands were getting blue and stiff. He shouldn't have left the apartment like that. However, he knew that hadn't been a conscious decision.

Koushiro was heading to Mimi's apartment, he believed. He had heard her telling him the address at some point of that phone call. Like she told him about a scared child that had gone to her place and told her that Monzaemon had kidnapped her mother. And then, it wasn't Monzaemon at all, but Fate possessing both him and the woman. All that just so Fate could tell her that he had chosen them and molded their destinies. And that the Spirit existed in the snow.

Mimi was crying while narrating that… he thought so… Koushiro didn't remember anything else, as if his brain had shut down and solely his body could move. Mimi had asked him to go to her place but he didn't remember the reason. Something about him being able to sense Fate. Was he really able to do that?

He wasn't psychic. There should be nothing special about the boy that enabled him to know if the Spirit was nearby. He was sure that the times he had felt its presence were times when Fate wanted him to feel it.

His misery was nothing more than entertainment to a corrupted computer program. That was the reason for it all. Koushiro and his friends were Fate's toys. How foolish of him to think he could forget about that horror. He couldn't escape… he could never escape… there weren't bright sides nor paths to the future… the only future he had would be decided by Fate. It was pointless to try to rebel against it. He had no power over anything.

Nevertheless, he couldn't stop walking. It was a decision his body had made, totally detached from his consciousness. Despite the emptiness he felt, there must have been something left in him. Something illogical that hadn't given up. How long would it take until it did?

Soon, he was in front of Mimi's door. The placard of the Tachikawa family emanated happiness that he couldn't recognize. He knocked on the door; his cold fingers didn't feel the contact with that surface. Mimi opened it. Her hair was messy, her eyes were swollen and there were water stains on the sleeves of the pink robe she was wearing over her pajamas. She looked at him with surprise.

"I didn't think you were coming." She told him.

"You asked me to come."

"You began to cry after I finished telling you what had happened." Mimi recalled. "You repeated 'no, it's not possible, it can't be' and then hung up."

"I did that…?"

"You don't remember?" The girl asked, raising her eyebrows. "I don't remember details of some stuff I've done after going to the docks." She narrowed her eyes. "I should've known bringing up Fate would be hard for you. I didn't even think about your feelings… sorry…"

"I'm sorry about what happened to your mother. I can't imagine how it must be for the two of you…"

Mimi went outside, closing the door behind her. Then, she embraced the boy tightly.

"After our phone talk, I turned around and saw her standing there, crying." The girl let him know. "She swore on her life that it was really her. Mama is usually an uplifting person but when she cries, when she's really hurt…" She put more force on the hug. "Nobody could pretend to be her that well. Nobody could cry with that intensity… next thing I knew, we were crying together. Then, Papa came along and cried too. It's weird how doing that makes you feel lighter."

"You're feeling better, then?" Koushiro asked, debating on whether he should hug the girl back or not.

"I'm still a wreck." She acknowledged. "But it's less bad now."

 _She's really a strong person._ Koushiro thought, ashamed of his weakness. It had been so easy for him to fall back in despair, and that after he had decided to be better. Why couldn't he be more like her?

"Do you want me to take a look at your mother?" He asked. "I'm not sure if Fate would let me know if there was something wrong, though."

"It's okay now, thanks." She said. "I was being paranoid. I can't let that creature do that to me anymore..."

"I'm really sorry…"

"That thing has no right to treat us like chess pieces." The girl affirmed. "It has no right to play with lives like that. We need to stop Fate!"

"How can we stop something that determines our future?" Koushiro voiced his hopelessness.

"That thing might manipulate us but we're still the ones making our decisions." She said. "I want to believe that we can still do something… we can't let that machine do as it pleases! I want to fight it!"

The boy gently held her by the arms and broke the hug. He looked at her face and saw determination growing in her eyes.

"I helped to create that thing." Koushiro murmured. "Because of me…"

"It was a different you from another universe! It's not your fault!" Mimi slightly raised her voice. "Besides, that Wisemon guy did most of the work, right?"

"Wisemon…" Koushiro muttered, gathering his thoughts. "A version of me created Fate along with Wisemon... AH!"

"What?!" Mimi asked, startled.

"I'm such an idiot! How haven't I thought about that before?!" Koushiro was almost shouting, showing a large grin. "Wisemon was the mastermind behind Fate! He must know everything that there is to know about it! With that knowledge, we might be able to figure out a way to stop that thing!"

"Then… we have to go back to the Digital World…?" Mimi asked, showing a sad smile.

"Yes… I'm sorry." Koushiro apologized.

"Hey, I just said that I wanted to fight. Don't go on feeling bad for me!" She told him. "I should've known that we wouldn't have peace if we let things unfinished there but I wanted to believe that it was all over anyway. Now, look at what happened…"

"I wanted to believe too." The boy admitted. "When I heard that Sora-san and Jyou-san had encountered digimon, I didn't want to believe it was something to worry about. Of course it was…"

"Jyou-san and Sora-san met digimon?" Mimi inquired concerned. "Are they alright?"

"Yes, they are." Koushiro calmed her down. "Sora-san wants us to meet tomorrow morning, at 9, in a park five blocks from here, so we could discuss the situation."

"I guess Takeru-kun will be happy to know that we're going back to the Digital World." Mimi commented.

"We still need to figure out how to do that, though. Maybe the digivices could give us a clue…"

"If it's up to you, you'll certainly find a way." Mimi assured him. "You saved us with only 10% of chance of success…"

The girl frowned and Koushiro imagined what should be going through her mind. He had been able to save them but the adults died along with the invading army. There was nothing he could have done for them.

Suddenly, the melody of a violin filled his ears.

"What's this music?" Koushiro asked, turning his back to Mimi and focusing his attention at the snowflakes that had begun to fall outside the building.

"What music?" The girl asked.

"It's coming from the snow… the violin…" He told her. "Can't you listen to it?"

"No." Mimi replied. "Wait. The snow?" She asked, fearfully. "Does Fate have anything to do with it? Why would it make you listen to a violin?"

"No…" Koushiro muttered, horrified. "My mother… it must've done something to her!"

Koushiro ran from there in high speed, before Mimi could react.

* * *

Yoshie had secluded herself in her bedroom. From the depths of her wardrobe, she took out the violin case she hadn't seen since they had moved to Odaiba. Sat on the bed, she embraced the object.

The last time she had played that violin, she was expecting her son to be born. But he came to the world in silence and she vowed to never play that instrument again. Her son would be the last person to listen to her music.

Yoshie believed that her loss would remain as an open wound forever and that gave her solace. For as long as it hurt, she would remember her child. If she ever forgot him, what would remain of Makoto?

Her husband had recovered so quickly. When Shunsui and his wife died, it was Masami's idea to adopt that baby. Yoshie protested, but there was no other choice. The family of Koushiro's mother was too torn by the loss of the woman to be able to take care of him. Yoshie couldn't let that innocent baby go to an orphanage.

She didn't want to love him but it happened anyway. His smiles, his laughs, his voice… that baby made new melodies to be born in her heart. Of course Masami would suggest that she play the violin to Koushiro. But she couldn't.

Wouldn't that be a betrayal to her son?

Wasn't her growing love for the Winter child already a betrayal, though?

 _He isn't mine._ She reminded herself, whenever Koushiro made her too happy. _He had other parents who loved him deeply. I had my son. Koushiro is not really mine._

It became harder and harder for her to believe in that. Little by little, that kid with bright red hair pulled her out of the abyss she had jumped into a long time ago. Koushiro became her happiness, her whole life.

That made her feel so guilty.

She had no right to steal the affection Koushiro should have for his real parents.

However, whenever he called her "mother"… it made her indescribably happy. When he said that she and Masami were his real parents, Yoshie had the urge to leave all her remaining pain behind definitively. She wanted to fully accept Koushiro, to embrace her love for him, to truly reclaim him as her child.

But wouldn't that be the same as forgetting her son?

She couldn't forget Makoto. He existed nowhere else but in her heart. If she let him go, he would disappear forever. He would definitely vanish from the world, as if he had never existed. As if her love for him hadn't been real.

"Koushiro-han, where are you?"

Motimon's voice came from outside the bedroom. Yoshie stood up from her bed, opened the door and followed the voice. She found the monster at the living room, looking behind the sofa.

Yoshie didn't notice that she was still holding the case, protectively.

"Did Koushiro go out?" She asked.

"I was sleeping and didn't see him leaving. Do you know where he went?"

"No…" Yoshie mumbled. Could he have left because of the conversation they had? Did she upset him because of her insistence on talking about his parents?

"Did something happen between the two of you?" Motimon asked. "Koushiro-han wouldn't go out without me knowing that there are digimon outside, unless he was really emotionally distressed."

"I wanted to tell him about his real parents but he didn't want to hear." Yoshie told him.

"His _real_ parents?" Motimon asked, frowning. "Do you mean the biological ones?"

"You know, then." She whispered, holding the violin case with more force against her chest. "You know that I'm not his real mother."

"Of course you are his real mother! What nonsense are you talking about?!" Motimon sounded angry. Right after saying that, he paled. "Wait… you didn't say that to him, did you?"

"I was just stating the obvious, really." Yoshie said. "I don't get why he was upset when I referred to them as his real parents. That's what they were."

Motimon stared at her, astonished.

"Koushiro-han didn't tell you anything that mattered, did he?" He asked, seriously. "He didn't tell you how much he suffered thinking that you didn't love him for real, that you two were nothing more than good people that had taken him in out of pity!"

"He thought that?" Yoshie questioned, alarmed. "He thought that we didn't… b-but he said that he knew that we loved him! He said…"

Horror engulfed her as she started to realize the effect that her words must've had on Koushiro. If he was unsure about her love for him, how must have sounded to him her insistence on calling other people his real parents? How must have he felt when she mentioned Makoto?

Worse than that, if Koushiro wasn't sure that she loved him, didn't that mean that she hadn't expressed that love correctly over the years? Despite always treating him well, she forced herself to keep a distance from him that she thought he wouldn't notice. She did that out of respect for his parents and her son. She forcibly reminded herself that he wasn't hers, to the point of calling him Winter child…

She let her arms fall by the sides of her body. The case hit the ground and opened itself, revealing the violin.

"I made him feel rejected…" She said, letting thick tears drop from her eyes. "I made my son feel…"

Her son! Of course Koushiro was her son! He was the child she had taken care of! He was the child she had seen grow! He was the person she loved above anyone else in the world! Yet, she had hurt him so deeply. She had placed the feelings of dead people above his own. Because of the pain she wanted to cultivate, because of what she didn't want to forget… what had she done to him?

"What's this thing?" Motimon asked, pointing to the violin on the floor. Yoshie picked it up and looked at it.

Just a piece of wood with strings attached to it. Nothing special. Nothing impressive. Her refusal to play it for so long, her refusal to play it for her child, now seemed so ridiculous.

Stupid.

Cruel.

Without a word, Yoshie placed the violin on her left shoulder while sustaining it with her left hand. With the bow in her right hand, she touched the strings for the first time in almost a decade.

A sad melody echoed.

* * *

 _"The third question is 'how many seconds of time are there in eternity?'"_

Koushiro opened his eyes and found darkness surrounding him. Faint red light came from his left. There was a digital watch there, marking the time: 23:58.

"Two minutes to midnight…" The boy murmured, moving in the futon. He remembered heading home while the wind blew more snowflakes at greater speed. Suddenly, he saw someone… he didn't remember who.

He heard steps coming into the dark room.

"Who's there?" Koushiro asked, afraid. The other person switched the lights on, forcing the boy to blink. When he reopened his eyes, he couldn't hide his shock.

He was in a bedroom that looked very much like his own except there were two futons on the floor where his bed used to be. The boy couldn't focus on any more details because the person standing by the open door was someone he recognized immediately.

The boy with curly dark hair and light brown eyes that Koushiro had seen for the first time in the well and for the second time in Raven's Canyon was standing a few meters away from him, wearing yellow pajamas.

"Did my wandering around the place wake you up, Kou? Sorry about that." The other spoke in an apologetic tone.

"Fate!" Koushiro shrieked, standing up. He quickly noticed that he was taller than he should be. The boy looked down and saw longer legs and arms partially hidden by white pajamas.

"I'm… older…" Koushiro murmured, perplexed.

"You'll only get older in January 29th and you know that." The other smirked. "Until then, enjoy being 14 years old."

"What's happening here?! What did you do to me?!" The redhead inquired, stepping back until he stomped on a desk behind him. "Where am I?! What's this place?!"

"It's just our bedroom, Kou! Why are you getting so worked up?"

"What kind of trap is this, Fate?" Koushiro questioned, shaking. "What are you planning?"

"Why do you keep on calling me that? It's a really weird nickname." The other asked. "I'd rather you keep on calling me 'Onii-san.' Maybe 'Onii-chan,' someday, if you ever feel like it."

"What…?" Koushiro asked. "Why would I ever call you that, you demon?!"

"Because I'm your big brother, obviously."

"My… what…?" Koushiro felt that his legs would give in to his weight at any second.

The other smiled immensely at him, before replying:

"Your one and only brother: Izumi Makoto."

 **Thank you for the reviews!**

 **In case I haven't mentioned before, "Izumi" means "Spring." That's why Koushiro called Makoto "child of the Spring."**


	30. The end of all things

"I did nothing wrong, Hikari-san."

The voice resonated in a vast chamber whose ceiling had once been used to see universes dancing, ever so slowly, but now all that was there was darkness.

"I was projected to be a logical and flawless security system for the Digital World. To see the great structures, the paths that need to be taken. What I do might seem cruel in the perspective of finite beings. But everything I do serves a greater purpose."

"If you apologized, you wouldn't be in this deplorable mental state." She told him. "You had already been rough to Jyou-san that time. Mimi-san is even more sensitive than him. You shook her pretty badly."

"I had to act that way in order to achieve the results I wanted. Jyou-san wouldn't have earned his crest without my help. Mimi-san and her partner will certainly unlock the ultimate evolution thanks to what I'm putting them through. I must be what I have to be."

"You go to great lengths to convince yourself of those _truths_ but you know that you're not really that logical. There's a lot of pain in you. And anger."

"Bugs that can be fixed."

"With the help of the real Hikari, right?" She asked. "If that day arrives and you get fixed, will you finally stop punishing Izumi Koushiro?"

Her piercing question provoked heavy snow to descend upon them.

"Izumi Koushiro is the reason why I'm not perfect like I was supposed to be. He was the one who damaged my programming and infected me with those glitches. He's responsible for everything."

"In all those universes, Izumi Koushiro has always been integral to the success of the chosen children. The logical thing to do for the good of the Digital World was to secure his safety and prolong his life. What did you do instead? What are you still doing to him?"

"He is deplorable! Weak! In need of betterment! I do give him opportunities to become something less despicable. But if he can't be fixed, he must be discarded. That's the rational thing to do."

"There's nothing rational in that and you know it." She contested. "You can't defeat the urge to destroy him if you insist on denying the truth of your feelings."

"I am nothing but ones and zeros. A not living thing that continues to exist until it inevitably rusts and rots away. The undeniable truth of existence is that, some day, everything will end and be forgotten. All there's left for me is to serve my purpose before it happens."

"But there are things that will never end." She told him. "Trillions of years later, you can still feel that pain. It's eating you from the inside and you can't hide it. Hikari's rejection was too great of a blow for you to handle. You are falling apart."

"Those residual glitches will inevitably end as well. Determination gets lost… promises get broken... if even diamond is worn away, given enough time, what to say of lesser things like these? Feeble emotions can't be eternal. Nothing is."

"Love is." She affirmed. "It's eternal and invincible. It can surpass time, space and even reality. No matter how hard you try to run and hide from it, it always finds you and reaches you. Nobody can get rid of love. Not really. Not ever."

"Tell me the story of the shepherd boy again."

"You already know every word and comma of that tale."

"Tell me it again and then dare to repeat that nonsense! Dare to repeat that there's something eternal in the world!"

"You insist on misunderstanding that story."

"You're not the real Hikari-san!" The temperature dropped so much that ice was forming on the floor. "You're just a simulation of her that I created! In the end, you are just a part of me, like those other two! So don't act as if you could possibly be more knowledgeable than me! You and I are one and the same! And I can delete you whenever I feel like it!"

"Alright, then. I'll tell you that story." She conceded. "Who knows? Maybe this time it could change something."

As she opened her mouth to begin the narration, the sound of a violin invaded that place and swept everything. Feelings that could not be contained, sentiments that could not be blocked, flooded and disturbed all in their way.

 **Chapter 30: The end of all things**

"That was a very beautiful song." Motimon commented when Yoshie stopped playing the violin and sat on the sofa.

"Concerto in D major, by Tchaikovsky." She murmured, looking at the instrument on her lap instead of the digimon on the floor. "It used to be one of my favorites."

"Would you play it for Koushiro-han?"

"Do you think he would like that?" Yoshie asked. "I don't know how he would feel about it. Now that he knows that I used to play to my first child, if I played to him, would Koushiro think I'm trying to use him to replace my son? I don't want to hurt him further but I don't know how to avoid it... Koushiro has always been too good… he never complained… I don't know what can hurt him. I don't know what he's afraid of; he never talks about those things."

"Koushiro-han is a complicated person." Motimon told her, looking at the floor. "Among my friends, I was the one who took the longest time to start understanding my partner. And I'm still only scratching the surface. He's very negative and demands too much from himself. He puts more value in what he can do for others than he does about his well being. Koushiro-han has difficulty in seeing his good sides. He's too forgiving of people who hurt him… people who deserved his anger..." Motimon frowned. "He's hardworking to a dangerous degree. He's awkward and doesn't have a lot of faith in his ability to emotionally connect with others, which is a shame. He frequently puts himself down and blames himself for things that he shouldn't. Koushiro-han is kind and sweet but he wouldn't believe it no matter how many people told him that. That's because he is the only person he's capable of hating."

When Motimon looked up again, he noticed Yoshie's eyes locked on him. There were no signs of shock in them.

"Whenever I mentioned those traits to Masami, he wouldn't believe it. I think a part of me wanted to agree with him… it hurt less." The woman said. "It's strange, you know? I've been holding on the pain of losing a child I never got to know for so long. But at the same time I've been afraid of the pain caused by truly getting to know the child I've raised."

Motimon took some time to reply.

"When I first tried to get to know Koushiro-han, my actions hurt him terribly." The digimon confessed. "I put him in danger and couldn't protect him afterwards. I couldn't do a damn thing to take care of him. I felt so useless… incompetent… terrified of what could happen to him… especially after a nightmare I had…" He lowered his voice, recalling that haunting memory. _The boy you fight so much to protect will bring himself his own end_. "I got to a point where I didn't want to acknowledge how deep his problems were. I wanted to believe that everything was well and that almost cost his life!" Motimon shrieked.

When Fate had possessed Koushiro in the well, at first the digimon had not even noticed the difference. When that thing looked at him with those sad eyes, Koushiro's eyes, and told him 'I'm glad to see you again' the monster didn't think he was talking to anyone but his partner. He failed to notice that his partner needed help and then, when Koushiro told him what had happened, he refused to accept the truth, allowing fear to take full control of him.

"Koushiro-han shouldn't have forgiven me so easily!" He cried. "I wish he had gotten angry at me!"

Yoshie studied his small trembling body.

"Do you know what I think is going to happen when he comes home?" She asked, seriously. "He's going to make up some weak excuse for leaving without telling anyone. When I ask him, he's going to say that he's fine and that I shouldn't worry about anything. I can already see it all happening. I can see even the forced smile on his face while he proceeds to be the _wonderful son_ everybody praises me for!" Small tears appeared in her eyes. "I wish that, at least once, he could be a _bad kid_. That he could be selfish! I wish that he could shout at me all the things that I deserve to hear, all the things that he needs to say! I want him to fully feel all the anger and sadness that have been building up in him for years! I want him to throw a tantrum, without a care in the world!"

She clenched her fists on the borders of the violin on her lap while tears rolled down her face.

"If I told him that, he would apologize to me!" Yoshie added, in frustration. "He would find a way to feel guilty about it!"

"You and Koushiro-han love each other deeply." Motimon said. "But both of you are terrible at communicating your feelings with words."

"I know that."

"But when you played the violin, I could feel…" The digimon had some difficulty in finding the right words. "It was like you were showing me your whole heart through music. It was very intense… I don't know how to explain all those things that I felt but if Koushiro-han could listen to you playing the violin, I'm sure that, even if he couldn't understand everything, he would feel it too."

"Feel it…?" Yoshie wondered. However, there was no time to go deeper on the subject. Her husband's voice came from the apartment's front door.

"YOSHIE, OPEN THE DOOR, QUICKLY! KOUSHIRO… KOUSHIRO IS…"

The woman pushed the violin to the side and almost jumped from the sofa. When she got to the door and opened it, Masami rapidly entered the apartment, holding an unconscious Koushiro on his arms.

* * *

 _Izumi Makoto._

Once faced with indescribable cruelty, a strange feeling awoke in Koushiro. Surreal calmness, almost paralysis, slowed down the world, allowing all his thoughts to click together.

 _Child of the Spring._

Since that time in the well, when he saw the person he could never become.

Fate must have known since the beginning. About that person, about his parents, even about the snow. How much fun must that thing have had, preparing all those details, for such long time? And now it could see it all come together in the present reality where it had imprisoned the boy.

"Are you upset, Kou? Do you want to talk?" Makoto asked, gently. The concerned look on his face seemed so genuine and so painfully similar to hers.

The truth of his predicament revealed itself to him.

 _Fate wants to break me._ Koushiro concluded. _It wants to see me snap, to see me cry, to lose all control over my emotions._

Like it had done evoking the images of Yukimura and Fuyokawa and making them tell their child to die and reunite with them. His _real_ parents.

Fate had played him good. Back then, Koushiro was so close to…

But that thing should know that Koushiro wouldn't be deceived again. The child's early outburst should be proof enough. Nevertheless, it continued the farce. Makoto had approached him and was now touching his left arm in a reassuring way.

"I worry so much about you, little brother." Makoto looked at him sadly. "I get really worried when you keep things for yourself. You know that you can trust me with anything, right?"

Koushiro was disgusted by those blatant lies but hid it. _Fate_ _must want me to call out on this farce and demand the truth. It's provoking me! But I won't give what it wants!_

To do as that thing wanted would probably bring things to a quicker end. But he couldn't do it. That creature had toyed with his deepest fears and taken advantage of his anxieties. Fate had gotten dangerously close to driving him to a path of no return. All of it for the sake of a test. The Spirit of the World had turned his life into Hell and was willing to let him die only to see if he was minimally qualified to be a chosen child.

To allow himself to relive the humiliation of being Fate's puppet was such an unbearable thought that Koushiro believed that he could die of dread.

He forbade himself to play by Fate's rules.

 _I'll figure out what it wants by my own. I'll find my way out of here. I won't be broken. I won't be played with._

"Kou, say something. Please."

 _I won't shed even a single tear._

"Ah! I had such a weird dream!" Koushiro suddenly said, forcing a laugh. "Sorry for worrying you like that, _Onii-san_!"

Makoto took a step back, while staring at him with shock. Koushiro felt a bit of pride. _Didn't see that coming, did you?_

The older boy stared at him, astonished.

"You know who I am..." Makoto commented in low voice. "It had never been this fast..."

"Are you surprised?" Koushiro tried to imprint an innocent tone to his voice. "Is there something upsetting you, perhaps? You know you can trust me with anything, right?"

Makoto was visibly puzzled but soon a little smile appeared on his lips.

"You seem well." He said as the smile grew. "I'm glad!"

That show of happiness and gratitude, perhaps also relief, made Koushiro uneasy. Not only did he clearly see the joy he knew from the faces of the two people he loved the most spread on Makoto's face, but he couldn't see anything wrong with that. There wasn't even a small sign of deception or malevolence there. How easy would it be to believe that he was being sincere. The love irradiating from him was almost tangible.

 _It's a trap._ Koushiro reminded himself. _It has to be… don't fall for it!_

"Koushiro-han?"

The boy turned to where the wardrobe was and saw Tentomon opening the doors from the inside.

"I heard you talking. You sounded so lively!" The digimon added, happily, and flew to where Koushiro was.

 _Even Tentomon… to use even him to hurt me…_ Koushiro thought, astonished. That was an evil act different from the ones he had experienced, but similar to what Mimi had gone through. Coming in his direction wasn't a representation of someone he had never the chance to know in person. That was his partner! His best friend! The first friend to whom he had opened his heart!

Koushiro couldn't bring himself to stop Tentomon from hugging him tightly, the way the ladybug used to do in his real life. Lost in the feeling of being embraced by those arms, the resolution to resist that trap and fight Fate was weakening.

"I can hear Koushiro-han's heartbeat!" Tentomon spoke in shock, suddenly.

"What?!" Makoto gasped, heading straight to Koushiro in large steps. The smaller boy was taken aback by the unexpected change in behavior of the older one. Gone was the kindness and gentleness. As Makoto unceremoniously grabbed Koushiro's right arm and checked his pulse, his brown eyes widened and his mouth opened. He looked from the arm to the younger boy's face, as if he was witnessing a miracle. From his open mouth, a chuckle escaped, followed by a sniff of his nose. Makoto attempted to smile and his eyes became flooded with tears. The hand holding Koushiro's arm lost grip of it, which enabled the redhead to break free. He didn't try to escape, though. Instead, he observed the other, bewildered, unable to even try to make sense of that reaction.

"You're alive, Kou…" Makoto whispered, shedding happy tears. "He didn't kill you! He didn't kill you and he didn't break your mind!"

"That means that we can still save this Koushiro-han!" Tentomon stated, letting go of the redhead and taking flight, in order to better look at his face. "We can save him from the Spirit! We can stop that from happening to this one!"

"The Spirit…?" Koushiro repeated, slowly. "The Spirit of the World? Fate?"

"Also known as Homeostasis… among other names…" Makoto muttered, bracing himself.

"It doesn't know that you're here." Tentomon said. "If it knew, you would already…"

"Of course it knows I'm here! Fate was the one that brought me here!" Koushiro affirmed.

"You remember coming here?" Makoto asked, surprised. "None of the others… wait a second!" He showed an annoyed expression. "Were you tricking me by pretending that you had already integrated environmental memories? Why would you do that?"

"E-Environmental memories?" Koushiro was confused. "You thought I was going to absorb memories by osmosis or something?!"

"That's what usually happens." Tentomon remarked. "It was like that with all the others that came before."

"What usually happens?! Others?! What's going on here?!" Koushiro inquired, getting agitated.

Makoto and Tentomon exchanged looks; then, they devoted their entire attention to him.

"Do you remember how you got here?" Makoto questioned, gently.

"What is this place?" Koushiro replied with another question. "Who are you? What do you have to do with Fate?"

"You need to trust us, Koushiro-han! We want to help you!"

"Don't tell me what to do before explaining me what's happening!" Koushiro nearly shouted, feeling all the accumulated stress eating him from the inside out. The uncertainty of his situation felt suffocating.

"Alright." Makoto tried to sound reassuring. "Calm down, please. We'll tell you everything you need to know. It'll be hard to believe…"

"I'm very open-minded." The other boy spoke in a defiant tone.

"Makoto-han and I are computer simulations based on memories of a Makoto-han and a Tentomon that existed for real." Tentomon explained.

"Computer simulations?" Koushiro murmured. "Is this the Digital World?"

"It's not the Digital World." Makoto denied. "We are part of…" he hesitated, "… a massive computer program that was created to act as a security system for digital worlds across several universes. A computer program developed by a certain perfect level digimon in a different universe…"

"You can't mean…" Koushiro felt a cold sensation in his insides that quickly spread through his body. He had heard that story from Wisemon and later had Jyou complement it. "This place… is this inside of Fate?!"

"Well… yes." Makoto confirmed. "Your consciousness… or soul, whatever you like to call it… it was uploaded here. But I don't really understand how it happened with you still alive. I didn't know this was even possible."

"You thought I was dead…" Koushiro recalled. "And you said that things had been different with the others. Who were these others? Am I not the first one whose mind Fate abducted? Did those other people… did Fate kill them all?"

Makoto looked down, slightly shaking. Tentomon landed on the floor, not taking his eyes from the redhead boy.

"It's complicated…" The digimon muttered.

"The Spirit of the World tried really hard not to do that." Makoto said, enlacing his fingers. "It tried to be rational… in some universes, it even succeeded in not doing that. But… it's difficult to resist that urge. After they die… their souls are brought here and… things are done to them…" Makoto's voice was getting weak and his hands were shaking. "We, the simulations, can't stop that but we try to comfort what remains of them… we try to give them some joy before they disappear…"

"When they get to this level of the program, they barely remember who they used to be…" Tentomon added. "We try to fill some of those holes. This sub-conscious subroutine feeds them manufactured memories, so they can have some peace before the end."

"You thought I was one of those people Fate killed." Koushiro was starting to understand. "But… you called me by my name. This place… the two of you… it felt prepared specifically for me. Did you read my mind to know that…? But if you had read my mind, you wouldn't have been surprised…" A horrible feeling took a hold of his heart. "The people that Fate killed… the ones that came before me and were treated by you…?" Thick tears accumulated in his eyes as his entire body shivered. The inevitable conclusion crushed him.

"They were you, Koushiro-han." Tentomon confirmed the boy's fears. "In many different universes, Fate murdered you and, not satisfied with that, it broke your spirit… i-it…" The digimon sobbed. "We're sorry we couldn't protect you! W-We're so sorry, Koushiro-han!"

His knees gave in to his weight and Koushiro fell. His trembling arms sustained him as he stared at the close floor. Maybe he should have been more shocked by that revelation but it made too much sense. Fate had always been crueler to him than to the other chosen children, despite using the excuse of helping them all. That creature had terrorized him, tortured him, tried to convince him that he wanted to die, nearly drowned him, shove him into an abyss! What it had done to Jyou, Mimi and the girl's mother felt so small in comparison. Yes, Fate had possessed the woman but, from what Mimi had told him in the phone call, her mother wasn't even aware of what had happened until the girl told her. What did Fate put his friends through? It made them feel guilty and conflicted, but Fate never physically hurt them or psychologically abused them to the same extent it had done to him! He knew that he would eventually regret those selfish thoughts but couldn't stop them now. They had overtaken his mind.

"The Spirit of the World hates me… it hates me so much…" Koushiro muttered, terrified. "Fate wants me dead… it killed me before… it killed so many times. It's going to kill me again! I'm going to die again, aren't I?!"

"We won't let that happen!" Makoto swore, kneeling next to Koushiro and carefully holding his face, making the smaller boy look at him.

"We are going to protect you this time, Koushiro-han!" Tentomon vowed.

"BUT YOU'RE PART OF THIS TRAP!" Koushiro accused, crawling back, away from them. "You admitted it yourselves! Fate created you! You exist inside it! You're part of it!"

"We weren't created to torment you." Tentomon told him. "We were created trillions of years ago because the Spirit was lonely!"

"Think of us as sophisticated imaginary friends, with a certain level of free will." Makoto suggested.

"Do you think I'm going to believe in that?! Seriously?!" Koushiro shouted. "Why would Fate make simulations of the two of you?! Why did it pick my parents' dead son and Tentomon?! It's nonsensical!"

The tears that fell from his eyes felt like they were burning him. To think he had vowed not to shed a single tear… how ridiculous! Of course Koushiro wouldn't be able to stand a chance against Fate! As always, it had been absurdly easy for that thing to break him! Fate might have been able to do that simply by telling him the truth or at least a significant part of it. It made sense that the Spirit of the World really wanted him dead. That explained everything! But for what reason? Wisemon had said that Fate was flawed. Was it defective because of Koushiro? Was that why it loathed the boy to such an extent?

The sound of a door being opened, a few meters away, startled Makoto and Tentomon.

"Is she here already?" The digimon asked.

"She must have sensed him." Makoto theorized.

Soon, at the open door of the bedroom, a girl who seemed to be around twelve years old arrived. She was wearing black boots, thick jeans pants and a long dark pink coat. Her short brown hair was bright, not unlike her eyes.

Her image triggered flashes of Koushiro's memory. He had seen her before going to that place. She had talked to him! Was she a simulation too? Was that why she looked older than the girl he had seen a few times in his real life?

Several other questions raced through his mind as he remembered what had happened. He couldn't look away from the sad smile she sustained.

Always recognizable, no matter what version of Yagami Hikari stood in front of him.

* * *

Before being trapped in that strange place, Koushiro had been stubbornly making his way through the snow, struggling not to let the fierce wind knock him down. The falling snowflakes and the dark sky made it hard for the boy to see the path ahead of him. As he continued to walk, the music became clearer and louder. He could have been lost but the sound of the violin had guided him to his apartment complex.

The melody filled him with sadness and regret. Every note evoked the memory of his mother crying. He was responsible for that. His insistence in not listening to her led her to remember sad things. Why was she playing the violin now when he had never listened to her doing that? Was she thinking about the son she should have had? If Koushiro could hear the music resonating in the snow, didn't that mean that Fate was doing something to her?

His heart skipped a beat when he imagined what Fate could be doing to his mother. What if that thing was making her see her deceased child and that was why she was playing that instrument? What if that child was asking her to be with him?

 _No! Please, no!_ Koushiro muffled an anguished cry. The mere thought of his mother dying was too unbearable to him. If that happened, he couldn't even imagine his reaction. Mimi's determined words came to his mind. He would definitely find a way to destroy that loathsome computer program. He would put an end to it and stop it from ever hurting anyone else!

About ten meters away from the apartment complex, a voice behind him caught his attention.

"There was once upon a time a shepherd boy whose fame spread far and wide because of the wise answers which he gave to every question."

Koushiro turned around and saw a girl with short brown hair, wearing a dark pink coat. Her smiling face wasn't strange to him. But that face belonged to a second-grader, not to someone who seemed to be slightly older than him.

"Hikari-san…?" He asked, astonished. "H-How can you…?"

"The King of the country heard of it likewise, but did not believe it, and sent for the boy. Then he said to him, 'if you can give me an answer to three questions which I will ask you, I will look on you as my own child, and you shall dwell with me in my royal palace.'" She continued, as if she wasn't listening to him. Nevertheless, her kind eyes were locked to his. Unlike the Yagami Hikari he had seen a few times, who used to avert her eyes from him for a reason he didn't know.

"You can't be Hikari-san…" The boy murmured, recovering from the shock. "You're Fate! This is one of your tricks, isn't it?!"

"When Makoto-san told you this story, you completely misunderstood it." She said. "You thought he meant something he didn't. And the answer to the third question made you very sad."

"Makoto…" The boy repeated, bitterly. "So you know about him… of course you do! The so called Spirit of the World knows everything, right?! And you have nothing better to do with your time than to torment innocent people, isn't that correct?!"

"Koushiro?"

Another voice, this time from his left, diverted his attention. Izumi Masami was standing a few meters from him.

"Father?" The boy asked in low voice.

"Who are you talking to?" Masami asked, glancing at the direction where he should be able to see the older Hikari. "There's no one else here… are you feeling alright?"

Was that really his father, coming back from work earlier? Or was it another lie created by the Spirit of the World? Like the violin…

Only then the boy realized he could no longer hear a single note.

"It stopped!" Koushiro shouted, once again turning to the girl. "Why did the violin stop? What does that mean? What happened to my mother?"

"I wasn't supposed to be down here… you must be in a similar emotional turmoil." She whispered, looking at the sky with apprehension. "You two are getting synchronized."

"Answer me!" Koushiro demanded, walking in her direction. "Did you do something to my mother? Why did the violin stop?!"

"Yoshie-san is perfectly safe in her home." Hikari replied, lowering her face to look at him. Her eyes were full of sadness. "You, on the other hand…"

His sight began to turn dark. The boy took his hands to his eyes and rubbed them, but his sight didn't return to normal.

"Your chaotic emotions are breaking down the door. None of _you_ have ever returned from there…" He heard Hikari murmuring.

"What are you doing to me?!" The boy asked, falling to his knees on the snow while shutting his eyes closed.

"SON! Son, what's going on?! What are you feeling?!" Masami's distressed voice filled his ears. Koushiro was quickly losing sensation on his body but could faintly feel his father's arms embracing him.

For a moment, everything became quiet and dark. He felt like floating, away from everything.

 _"The first question is 'how many drops of water are there in the ocean?'"_

 _What's this voice? Father's? It's too young to be his… I've heard it before…_ Koushiro wondered.

 _"The next question is 'how many stars are there in the sky?'"_

 _Why are you asking me these questions…? I don't know… I don't know the answers… what happens if I don't know the answers…?_ Koushiro could loosely recall that, in Hikari's tale, only by answering those questions the King would look at the shepherd boy as his child. _What does that mean? What am I supposed to do? I can't answer… and even if I could, what difference would that make? I still wouldn't be their child… no matter what I do or how hard I try… there's no way around this… I can never be Makoto…_

 _"The third question is 'how many seconds of time are there in eternity?'"_

* * *

"I apologize for this confusing situation, Koushiro." Hikari told him. "I was talking to the Spirit of the World but its distorted mindset redirected me to you by mistake. I might have aggravated the synchronization, I'm sorry for that."

"They got synchronized?" Tentomon asked.

"They must've been in a really similar psychological state..." Makoto murmured, sitting by the right of the other boy. "Then, is it possible that the Spirit hasn't noticed Kou's presence here yet?"

"The Spirit is too distressed to realize what's happening around, which is great news." Hikari sounded confident. "We can use this chance to find a breach on the framework and slip Koushiro out of here."

"Do you think we can guide him back to his body?" Makoto asked the girl.

"After he escapes the framework, it'll be up to him to go back to his body. We have no influence out of here." Hikari replied.

"Stop deciding what to do without asking my opinion!" Koushiro said, speaking for the first time since recovering the memory of how he had gone to that place. "You all could be part of Fate's trap! I don't have any reason to trust you!"

"Kou…" Makoto began but seemed unsure about what to say. Hikari approached Koushiro, sat in front of him and looked into his eyes.

"How do you feel about us?" She asked. "Are we trustworthy?"

"If I understood things correctly, you're all based on people from a universe different from the one I came from." Koushiro answered. "I don't actually know any of you. I think it'd be stupid to trust simulations created by Fate. The logical thing to do is to assume that you're my enemies."

"I'm not asking about logic or what you think." Hikari had a serious tone. "I'm asking how you feel-"

"My feelings have deceived me too many times and caused me a lot of pain!" Koushiro interrupted. "My feelings have led me to believe that I was a despicable person who couldn't do anything right! They made me sure that I was someone that people would be better off without. So, no, I'm not going to trust what I feel! If you want me to believe that you actually have free will and that you're on my side, you'll have to prove it."

"How can we prove that?" Tentomon asked, approaching the boy by his left.

Koushiro saw a chance where there was only hopelessness a few minutes before. He was trapped inside the very thing he wanted to destroy. That was an opportunity that he wouldn't have again. He didn't have the luxury of drowning in despair right now. He had to be rational and do something useful!

"Give me information that I can use when I'm out of here." Koushiro said. "Something that will help me to destroy Fate."

The three of them exchanged concerned looks.

"That's impossible! You can't destroy it!" Tentomon stated.

 _Be smart, Koushiro! Be smart! Don't let Fate beat you this time!_

"Self-preservation?" Koushiro smirked in a bitter way. "To give me that information would go against your programming, isn't that right? I knew you couldn't be trusted!"

"What kind of information do you want?" Hikari inquired. "Please, be more specific."

"I want to know how Fate was created." Koushiro told her.

"We can't reveal that!" Makoto nearly shouted. "We can't tell Kou about that, under any circumstance!"

"That's right!" Tentomon agreed. "Revealing that would only bring pain and destruction!"

"Then, I guess we don't have a deal." Koushiro affirmed.

"Don't be ridiculous! What do you think you can do without our help?" Makoto inquired.

"I'm not going anywhere with you unless you give me a logical reason to do so!" Koushiro stated. "If you care about me as much as you say you do, you are going to have to prove it! You're going to tell me what I want to know! If you don't do that, then your determination in helping me will be proven to be just an act and you'll be nothing more than Fate's pawns!"

Makoto, Hikari and Tentomon remained in silence for a couple of minutes. Koushiro waited for an answer, not willing to back down.

"The event of its creation has been locked away in the core of the Spirit's memory center." Hikari explained. "If any of us mention what happened, Fate is going to know. If that happens, you will be subjected to an unimaginable horror."

"Do you think you scare me?" Koushiro questioned. "Let me tell you this: I'm nothing but fear right now! Not just fear for myself, but for my friends and my family and all the innocents that ever suffered because of the Spirit of the World! That's why I need to find out how to stop it! I didn't want to come here and, honestly, I still don't understand how I came here. But I can't let this opportunity pass! I'm not entitled to do that!"

"You really hate the Spirit…" Makoto had a sad but understanding tone of voice. "That's inevitable, I suppose…"

"Koushiro-han, please reconsider." Tentomon pleaded. "If you insist on knowing the whole truth, you'll be bringing yourself your own end!"

That phrasing disturbed Koushiro. In Raven's Canyon, when his Tentomon told him about the nightmare the digimon had, he mentioned a voice that said that Koushiro would cause his own end. Piyomon had a nightmare in the underground temple that had become true; Sora was indeed swallowed by darkness during the orb incident. What if Tentomon had a similar premonition? What if Koushiro's defiance towards Fate was the thing that was going to kill him?

Only in that moment the weight of his death struck the boy. How would Tentomon feel if that happened? And his friends? His parents? His mother had been in grief over her child for so long... even if his parents didn't see Koushiro as their real son, even if they loved Makoto more, they still cared about him. The boy was sure of that. He remembered their continuous concern for him, the way they looked at him, the nights when they barely slept because he was sick. If Koushiro died, they would suffer. The thought of being the reason of their pain made him ashamed of himself.

"How about this? We'll tell you everything important that happened right before the event." Hikari proposed. "You'll have the clues to put the pieces together then and we won't be noticed by the Spirit. Is that good enough for you?"

Koushiro thought about it for a few seconds but nodded. That would have to be good enough. In the worst case, he would have to find Wisemon to fill in the holes.

Makoto and Hikari stood up and Koushiro did the same. Makoto made a movement with his right hand and everything around began to disintegrate into data particles.

They were left in a vast and dark place. Several meters above their heads, luminous white strings were interconnected with each other and glowed faintly. The floor where they were standing was hard and was covered by little clouds. Makoto was no longer wearing pajamas, but a white jacket over a black shirt, along with brown pants and black snickers. Hikari and Makoto seemed taller than before at first, but then Koushiro realized that he was back to his real age and was wearing the clothes from before getting sent to that place.

"No more lies." Makoto spoke with sadness. "A long time ago, in a different universe, there was a version of you called Yukimura Koushiro. He lived happily with his biological parents. But when he was five years old, his parents died in a car crash. Kou was so heartbroken that he didn't speak for a few days. He was adopted by Izumi Masami and Izumi Yoshie, who already had a young son called Makoto. That boy tried to make small talk with Koushiro during his first night with the Izumi family. Makoto told him his favorite fairy tale."

"It was about a shepherd boy known for his wisdom." Hikari explained, showing a small smile. "The King promised to adopt him if he answered three questions."

"You told me that story." Koushiro said, looking at her. "And then I heard the questions… I think it was him…" he said, turning to Makoto. "His voice sounded different. Even younger than now."

"A few memories must've gotten mixed during the synchronization." Hikari pondered.

 _How was I synchronized with Fate, anyway? Am I really…? Could there be a connection between us? Because a different me helped to create it?_ Koushiro asked himself, wondering if he would get any explanation for those doubts.

"The shepherd boy answered the three questions right and was adopted by the King, but the third answer made Koushiro very depressed." Makoto continued. "In the tale, the shepherd boy said there was a huge mountain made of diamond and that every century a bird came to sharpen its beak on its walls. Once the mountain was completely worn away, the first second of eternity would be over."

"What's sad about that story?" Koushiro asked, confused. "Why is this tale important, anyway?"

"This story made a huge impact on the Spirit." Hikari explained. "To this day, it thinks about it, especially when it's sad."

"What reason does that thing have to be sad?" Koushiro questioned.

"We can't tell you that." Tentomon said.

"Anyway," Makoto spoke again, "Koushiro had a hard time warming up to his new parents and brother. Izumi Yoshie taught violin in a music school and every night played to her family. She always tried to make Koushiro feel included but he refused to stay in the living room with the others. He made up excuses to close himself in the boys' bedroom whenever the woman was getting ready to play the violin. She thought that he didn't like her music..."

"That's horrible!" Koushiro stated, upset. "How could he be so awful to her?! So rude and ungrateful?!"

"He was sure he was an awful person." Hikari informed. "In the Digital World, he told me… I mean, he told Hikari many times that he was the most horrid person alive. She tried to dissuade him but her friend wouldn't listen."

"The Digital World?" Koushiro asked. "Was Hikari-san a chosen child in that universe?"

"You would be surprised at how common that is." The girl giggled.

"Kou's self-loathing worsened considerably when, three years after the chosen children went to the Digital World, a new enemy attacked Odaiba." Makoto continued. "Our parents were killed in that attack… Kou never recovered from that… Kou never forgave himself for not telling them... he suffered so much…"

 _He deserved to suffer after being so horrible to them,_ Koushiro thought, spiteful.

"When Wisemon appeared and asked your… I mean, the other Koushiro's help in the Homeostasis project, my brother jumped on the opportunity to make a security system for the Digital World. He believed that would prevent new tragedies from happening… he…"

Makoto couldn't continue. He was unsuccessfully fighting against the tears and the increasingly louder sobs.

"You might have realized it by now." Hikari said. "The creation of Homeostasis, the entity also referred as Fate and Spirit of the World, is tied to the death of that Izumi Koushiro."

"The one that helped to create Fate was also its first victim." Koushiro thought aloud. "How much did he mess up to anger that creature so much?"

There was no answer for that.

"We should focus on finding a breach." Tentomon said. "It's a hole among the clouds."

The other three searched for said breach on the floor, attentively. Koushiro wasn't sure if the plan would work and he would return to his body. In an attempt to stop anxious thoughts from overwhelming him, he approached Hikari and asked something he was curious about.

"So, in that other universe, I was friends with Taichi-san's little sister?"

"Such good friends that you actually called her by her name."

"S-Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude."

"I'm just a computer simulation, don't worry." She smirked. "Don't you get along with her in your universe?"

"She's a nice girl but…" He hesitated. "The few times we talked, she never looked into my eyes for too long. I can't shake off the suspicion that my presence bothers her but she's too polite to say anything."

"And you've never brought that up with Taichi?"

"Taichi-san can be a bit overzealous sometimes. If I said anything, he'd try to fix the situation and put Hikari-san in an uncomfortable position."

He noticed that the girl was smiling at him.

"What is it?" Koushiro asked.

"I hope you and the Hikari from your universe get to know each other better. The two of you would get along pretty well."

Koushiro thought about that for a few seconds.

"Why did Fate create simulations of you three?"

"It wanted to have someone to talk to."

"But why you three? Why people, I assume, that were important to that other Koushiro?"

Hikari frowned and looked away at first. Then, she said in a sorrowful voice:

"That Hikari wanted to go see the Christmas lights but everybody was busy. She was really happy when Koushiro agreed to go with her. She asked Tentomon to help her buy a gift for the boy, to show her gratitude. If she hadn't done that… if Tentomon had stayed with Koushiro that day…"

"It wasn't her fault that Fate killed him." Koushiro said. "That was only on Fate."

 _And on that Koushiro_ , he complemented mentally. That other version of him should have been more careful. He should have noticed that the computer program was faulty. He shouldn't have let all that happen.

"What's going on?" Makoto asked, pointing to the strings above that had begun to glow with more intensity.

"He's coming down here!" She shrieked.

"He couldn't know, could he?" Tentomon asked, nervous.

" _He_?" Koushiro wondered in loud voice. Makoto and Hikari looked at him, anxiously.

"It." Makoto corrected. "We're part of a corrupted computer program and make dumb mistakes sometimes."

"Maybe the Spirit is just coming after me because I disappeared after being summoned. Let me take care of this. Hide Koushiro!" Hikari ordered.

Makoto approached the other boy and Tentomon and made a movement with his right hand. A semi-transparent bubble was formed around them. They could still see Hikari on the outside. Small light particles descended and surrounded her.

"Where have you been?" Asked a voice that Koushiro found familiar, despite not being able to determine to whom it belonged.

"I'm sorry, old friend. I was swept away by that song."

"I couldn't find you. Were you hiding in my sub-consciousness? What were you doing there?"

"I ended there by accident."

"You are lying to me! You've ever gone there for only one reason!"

"You haven't laid a finger on _him_ yet." She pointed out, calmly. "He couldn't be here otherwise, could he?"

"I can't find Izumi Koushiro. He is hidden from me."

"You're still unstable. Soon, you'll certainly find him."

"Don't you lie to me! Do you think I'm stupid? Do you think I haven't figured out what you're up to? Where he's hiding?"

By his sides, Koushiro saw Tentomon and Makoto trembling.

"Koushiro!" Hikari said in loud voice. "I'll bear it for as long as I can but I can't do it for too much time! You must resist! Promise me you'll fight to the end! Don't let that mass of hatred consume you!"

After she said that, Makoto grabbed Koushiro by the hand and ran with him in the opposite direction, where a tunnel of light was being built.

"Wait! Go back!" Koushiro protested. "We can't just let her there!"

"She must've been deleted by now!" Tentomon said, flying after the boys.

"D-Deleted?" Koushiro asked, disturbed.

"Hey, we're just simulations, remember? It's not as if someone died!" Makoto told him. "That kind of thing has happened to us before. We're always reformed! Don't worry about us!"

 _I'm not worried!_ Koushiro told himself. _I'm not worried about them, that would be ridiculous!_ However, it was hard to fight the dread occasioned by the idea that the girl who had been talking to him a few minutes before, someone based on the little sister of one of his friends, had ceased to exist. _She was destroyed because of me… to protect me… then, they were really saying the truth…_

"Why are you helping me?" Koushiro inquired in low voice, as they continued to run in the light tunnel. "Why help all of those Koushiros? What's the point in going through that trouble?"

"You're Koushiro-han." Tentomon spoke with an anguished voice. "We couldn't just ignore you… even if we're not real, it hurt us. All the times we saw you suffering, it hurt us a lot! It doesn't matter how many times we're deleted, we'll keep on doing it! For Koushiro-han, we'll always…"

Suddenly, a buzzing sound came from behind them. They turned their heads and saw black smoke chasing them down the tunnel, a few meters behind.

"What is it doing?!" Makoto sounded shocked. "To force its way into the sub-consciousness like that will cause it a lot of severe damage!"

"The Spirit knows." Tentomon said, darkly. "It doesn't care as long as it gets Koushiro-han…"

Tentomon stopped moving ahead and turned around to face the smoke. Koushiro tried to stop but Makoto forced him to continue running.

 _He's not the real Tentomon… he's not the real Tentomon…_ Koushiro repeated to himself as he watched the smoke start enveloping the bug monster. That didn't stop his heart from breaking.

"It's okay, Koushiro-han!" Tentomon's voice was still audible. "It's okay to be scared… and to be sad… it's okay… you're not alone… you'll never be alone… I'm here with you!"

The digimon disappeared in the darkness that stopped advancing. Koushiro felt the floor vanish from under his feet. He and Makoto fell a couple of meters and hit a field filled with multicolored flowers. There was no sign of the tunnel above them. Instead, there was only a clear sunny sky.

Koushiro was lying on his back, looking up while the scent of the flowers invaded his nostrils. Tentomon's voice was still echoing in his mind.

"Don't cry!" Makoto told him, crawling in his direction. "He was a simulation! You're the only person here who's real!"

The younger boy had not noticed that he was crying. But at that moment he could no longer stop. He sobbed loudly, unable to explain what he was feeling.

Makoto put himself on his knees when he got close enough to the other boy.

"Your partner was never here. Neither was Hikari."

"I know that!" Koushiro affirmed. "I know… I know… I shouldn't be reacting like this! I… I…" It was getting harder for him to talk. "I need to stand up… I… I h-have to… I have to be strong… after everything I can't just… I can't…"

Makoto offered him a hand and helped him to sit up. After that, he embraced Koushiro, tightly. The younger boy was surprised at the familiarity of that hug. It felt like the ones his parents had given him in so many occasions. The same warmth, intensity and care… that was how his parents' son felt to him. Of course Makoto would be like that. How else could their son be? Koushiro wondered how it would have been to grow up having Makoto as his older brother. The thought didn't fill his heart with any unpleasant emotion, but a peaceful although melancholic sensation.

"Sorry." The older boy whispered in his ear. "I wish I had something to say that would make you feel better."

A dark crack crossed the sky and black smoke leaked from it. It descended, slowly surrounding them.

"I'm so s-sorry!" Makoto sobbed. "I really wanted to protect you…"

"I know." Koushiro assured him, trembling.

"I don't want to see you die again, Kou!" Makoto said, letting several tears drop from his eyes. "I can't… I'm…"

"I'll find a way out of here, I swear!" Koushiro promised, forcing his shaking arms up to hug Makoto back. "I'll go home and I'll tell my parents about you. I'm sure Mother…"

"That Makoto always tried to look after you but you never let him. You were always so independent and smart. It was a little frustrating." Makoto smirked, nervously. "Makoto messed up a lot and failed at many things. And you weren't easy. But he loved you unconditionally. And I'm sure that, wherever he is now, he's thinking about you. Don't forget that, Kou! Don't forget how loved you are!"

The smoke enveloped them. Everything became dark and cold. In a matter of seconds, the body that Koushiro had been hugging disappeared under his arms.

After a minute, he wiped his tears slowly and looked around. There was a spot illuminated by a ray of light about ten meters on his right, where the back of a metallic chair could be seen. Hanging from the sides of the chair, there were two human looking arms covered in lilac sleeves. Both the sleeves and the pale hands were drenched in blood.

Koushiro stood up and cautiously approached the object. He noticed loose chains hanging from it. Were they ever used to restrain someone?

"I didn't know you were capable of coming here while your body is still alive." The voice from before spoke. "My creator…"

"I'm not your creator." The boy contested. "You killed the Koushiro that helped Wisemon to build you a long time ago."

"Wisemon…" The other chuckled, bitterly. "Last time I checked on him, the Dark Masters had just… well, that doesn't matter. I'm about to end you, anyway."

 _Don't let that thing scare you! Be brave!_

"Like you did to all the others?" Koushiro asked, stopping a few steps behind the chair.

"I didn't kill all of them. There were times when I was capable of mercy. However, I'm not in the mood for that today."

 _Hang in there, Koushiro! Don't be afraid!_

"Why?" The boy inquired. "Why do you do that? What do you gain by continuously murdering me?"

"Joy." The other replied. "I had a bad day. I'm in need of some satisfaction."

Koushiro felt his knees getting weak but managed to stay up.

"That time, you said that I had to overcome my weakness in order to be useful to my friends. I did just that! I'm not the same self-destructive kid you tormented! I've learned and grown! And I'm proud of who I became!"

"Nonsense!" Fate snarled. "You see… Jyou-san, Mimi-san, Sora-san, Takeru-kun… those are chosen children that actually deserve my consideration and help. They're admirable and strong. You, on the other hand, deserve nothing but misery. You are inherently defective and can never change your nature. You are a weak and low creature whose heart is unspeakably ugly."

"That's not true!" Koushiro shouted. "I try to do the right thing and help everybody! I do my best to be kind and many people care a lot about me! I can't be that miserable person I had convinced myself I was! You're not going to convince me of those lies! You don't know who I really am!"

"I know you too well." The other stated. "I know the darkness that dwells inside your heart and where that darkness can take you. Your soul is twisted and chaotic… it infects and corrupts everything it touches."

"Do you think you're in any place to judge me?!" Koushiro inquired. "What have you done to help the original chosen children? What have you done to Mimi-san and her mother? And to all the digimon that died in conflicts that you didn't stop, but encouraged?! And what did you do all that for? Fun?!" Koushiro's whole body was shaking. "What about those simulations you created? That first Koushiro didn't build you right and that made you angry, I can understand that. But, not satisfied in punishing various versions of him, you had to create simulations of people who cared for him just so they could suffer?! That's evil! It's disgusting! Revolting! I might have my shortcomings! I might be far from being the best person on the world! But I know that I would never do something horrid like that! I know that I would never be something horrid like you!"

Out of nowhere, Fate began to laugh loudly. The bloody arms hanging from the chair were retrieved, possibly to be placed on their owner's lap. After a pair of minutes, the Spirit of the World calmed down.

"Did you ever wonder what kind of assistance you gave to Wisemon in the development of Homeostasis?" The Spirit of the World questioned. "You helped with little things, most of the time. He had a problem, though. Wisemon couldn't figure out how to make the artificial intelligence as complex and sophisticated as he wanted it to be. But then, he found the solution!"

The person on the chair stood up, but was still not visible to Koushiro because of the high back of the metallic object.

"It was December 25th. Izumi Koushiro had plans to go out to see the Christmas lights. But Wisemon appeared in his bedroom before that and told that boy that he had found a solution… he _cheerfully_ said that he needed Koushiro's help to complete Homeostasis…"

Fate's voice was getting lower and colder. An icy wind began to blow, sending shivers through Koushiro's body.

"Imagine Izumi Koushiro's foolish face when he understood what _help_ Wisemon wanted!" The Spirit continued. "If Wisemon knew how disgraceful of a person that boy was, maybe he wouldn't have… and then I wouldn't…"

That person left the blind spot at the other side of the metallic chair, coming into Koushiro's sight. The boy could almost feel his very life leaving him when he looked at the figure covered in blood. His voice was suddenly lost. He couldn't scream nor cry.

"I was supposed to be perfect, Izumi Koushiro!" Fate roared. "What am I instead? Because Wisemon wanted to scan his neuro-system… because he thought that boy had a logical, brilliant, mind… what have I become because of that mistake?!"

The face Koushiro had known for so long was now the pure image of rage itself.

"Izumi Koushiro was chained to a metallic chair and hundreds of needles entered his brain. He died in agony. And I came into existence, with all his memories and illogical emotions. With all of his innumerous flaws! Because of his weak spirit, I became this! So, tell me! I dare you to tell me _that_ once again!"

He took some steps in the boy's direction. Koushiro fell on his back. In absolute terror and mortification, he looked at the older version of himself leaning upon him. His adolescent face was now bearing a maniac smile.

"Tell me again I don't know who you really are, Izumi Koushiro!"

 **After holding this revelation for over 20 chapters, the truth is out at last. Thank you for the reviews and the support.**


	31. Child of the Spring

"I know you're listening."

Makoto's voice brought Koushiro to attention away from the book he had been pretending to read. He had actually been listening to the violin, like all the other times.

"Mom would be really happy if you just joined us." The eleven year old boy added, sitting across from the smaller one. "She thinks that you don't like her music."

"She plays to her family." Koushiro said, still looking at the open book. "It wouldn't be right to force myself into the participation."

"But our parents want you to participate! They love you!" Makoto protested. "I know that you want to participate too!"

"It doesn't matter what I want. I'm not part of your family."

After hearing that, Makoto took the book from the other's hands, which forced Koushiro to look at his adoptive brother's angry expression.

"You are my brother!" Makoto stated. "And their son! I'm sorry if that dumb story I told you years ago gave you the wrong idea that you had to earn your position in this family! That's not how it is! Let go of that already!"

The smaller child remained silent for one minute. When he spoke again, his voice conveyed deep sadness.

"My name used to be Yukimura Koushiro." The boy murmured. "My Mom used to tell me stories about the cosmos while tucking me in bed. My Dad had shiny eyes whenever he explained me the basic math behind everyday objects. One day, I wanted to watch their classes and sneaked into the University where they worked. I got lost in there and was only found at night." He frowned. "They were angry at me but they also hugged me and cried a lot. They told me to never wander off on my own again… they told me they'd suffer too much if something were to happen to me… if they were separated from me forever…"

"They died, Kou." Makoto spoke, sadly. "You can't be reunited with them until you die. And they would suffer if that happened too early, don't you think?" The older boy scratched his face. "I remember you told me once that you wanted to be a professor, like them. And when you let them know, they were super happy about the news! If you died, you wouldn't get to be a professor, would you?"

"They thought they would get to see me teaching…"

"They might still be able to do it! They could be watching over you right now!"

Koushiro smirked, bitterly.

"You say that as if it was a good thing. But how would my parents feel if they were to know that my family name is Izumi now? What would they think if they saw me treating other people as my parents? Wouldn't that make they suffer even more?!"

"Have you considered that they could be happy for you? Have you stopped to think that your refusal to be part of this family might be making your birth parents sad right now, wherever they are?!"

Koushiro's eyes widened. Makoto stood up and offered a hand to the other.

"You can't stay stuck making the same mistakes!" The big brother told him.

The redhead reached out but hesitated midway, not holding the other's hand. Makoto grabbed Koushiro by the wrist and made him stand up. Then, the older boy completely opened the door. A new song began to be played; the same song Yoshie played in Koushiro's first night with the Izumi family.

"That song...?" Koushiro muttered as his eyes got tear brimmed.

"Mozart's Concerto nº 5 in A major." Makoto replied. "The first song she chose to play to Dad. The one she played when she found out she was expecting me and when they brought me home. The song she plays when she invites people into her heart." He added, smiling at Koushiro. "You know what it means when she plays it to you."

"I can just walk in there…" Koushiro murmured, contemplating the possibility in front of him. "I can walk in there and say 'I love you' to them… it'd be so easy…"

"Yes, you can!" Makoto had an expression of pure joy. "They're going to forgive you and say that they love you as well! And then, everything will be-"

"No…" Koushiro said, breaking free from the other's grip and taking a step back, hitting the wall. "I never did that… I never told them… I never…"

"You can do that now, Kou!" Makoto assured him, with a faltering smile. "You'll do it and you'll feel so much better about everything!"

"They died!"

As Koushiro stated that, large cracks appeared on the walls, roof and floor of the bedroom.

"Kou, stop! Please, stop!" Makoto pleaded.

Both their bodies flickered and they became teenagers. Koushiro looked at his arms, covered by the sleeves of his purple jacket. Large stains of blood were visible on them.

"You deceived me!" Koushiro accused. "I created you and you try to trap me in a dream?! How dare you?!"

Small cracks appeared on Makoto's skin and clothes, emitting light whiter than the jacket he was wearing.

"I was trying to help you to come in terms with what happened! Don't you think you should forgive yourself already? Don't you think you should stop punishing yourself?!" He raised his voice as he made those questions, getting more desperate.

"I've never punished myself!" The other retorted.

"What about those other versions of you that you have killed?! How do you call that?!" Makoto inquired.

Rage boiled in Koushiro's heart.

"Those were not versions of me!" He affirmed. "Those were Izumi Koushiro! Izumi Koushiro deserved everything that happened to him!"

"Repeating those things has never helped you!" Makoto shouted. "Stop lying to yourself already, Kou! Please!"

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!" His voice came out thunderously, breaking apart everything surrounding him. "I AM NOT IZUMI KOUSHIRO!"

The dream reality disappeared along with Makoto.

All that was left was darkness.

The universe he was in was far too recent. No star had even been born yet. No living being existed.

The frightening solitude was familiar but a computer program shouldn't be able to feel anything. It only emulated remnants of emotions from a broken child long dead, glitches bound to disappear.

How many billions of years more until that artificial creature was finally free of Izumi Koushiro's heart?

 **Chapter 31: Child of the Spring**

Time slows down when a person is about to die. Koushiro had heard that many times before and now could tell it was really true. Lying on the cold ground, he saw the stretched arm of the other approaching him, with the hand open like a claw.

His own arm, his own hand… himself.

Fate was him. Koushiro was the Spirit of the World.

For a fraction of a second, he attempted to deny that truth. But the illusion couldn't last long. Koushiro knew. He could feel it deep in his soul. The person in his front was who he truly was.

The ugliness inside his heart from which he had hidden away, the abomination his partner didn't believe existed, there it was, in plain sight. His darkness presented itself in front of him. Leaning in his direction, with a wicked smile, his own image deformed by hatred, daring him to repeat that he didn't know who he really was.

"I was right…" Koushiro muttered, watching his other self placing the cold fingers around his neck. "It wasn't just self-loathing… it wasn't just my mind making stuff up…" A couple of tears rolled from his eyes. "The way I saw myself from the beginning, who I always felt I was… who I k-knew I…" His voice cracked as his tears began to fall more profusely, almost blinding him. "I was right... I was right! I…" Koushiro laughed, nervously. "Who was I kidding? Thinking that I could be something other than…"

Fate tightened his grip on Koushiro's neck, making the child grasp for air.

"You are diabolic, Izumi Koushiro." Fate informed him, smiling. "You're the most despicable creature in existence. That has always been true in each of the universes I've met you. You cause nothing but pain to everyone."

Koushiro remembered how he had made his mother cry, how he had made his partner worry, all the times he saddened or angered others… the succession of images came like a massive wave that overpowered him and took the boy to the depths of a cold and dark ocean. Nothing existed beyond despair. Not air, nor hope.

 _I'm going to die…_ Koushiro thought while his sight turned black. He could feel his consciousness slipping away, as if sucked by his other self's asphyxiating hand. _Is my body going to die too? This feels familiar… when I fell into the canyon… will there be something else at the other side? Will my birth parents be there…? Will Makoto…? Or am I just going to end here? At least I wouldn't have to face anyone… I wouldn't have to think about everybody Fate has… everybody I…_

"That's right!" The Spirit of the World sounded joyful. "Disappear! You know you deserve this!" His laugh was strange; somewhat similar to a sob. "You who belong nowhere… you who have done nothing worthy… just failure after failure… you weak, coward child! End now, once again!"

He hated him so much. He hurt him so much. It should have been obvious since the beginning. Who else would do those things to him but Koushiro himself?

Not just to him. How many others? How many…? It was unbearable to think about it. He helped nobody. He tormented so many. He killed… he wouldn't think about it anymore. Koushiro would cease thinking about everything.

 _"Koushiro-chii!"_

Her image appeared clearly in his mind, just as he remembered the last time he had seen her. A tear falling from each eye and a trembling grin… she didn't blame him for what happened. Otae just stood there, at her death's door, and gave him an order.

 _"Live!"_

Suddenly, air entered Koushiro's lungs again. The child fell on his back, on the snow, but quickly stood up. He could see Fate a few meters to his left, leaning over an empty spot, trying to strangle nothing. The Spirit of the World seemed confused by his victim's sudden disappearance.

Fate looked around, rapidly; he looked straight at the direction where Koushiro was. The boy gulped. But his other self kept looking around, visibly distressed, seemingly not able to see him.

"WHERE DID YOU GO, IZUMI KOUSHIRO?!" Fate roared. "SHOW YOURSELF, YOU COWARD!"

"What…?" Koushiro muttered but quickly received a light slap on his back. He turned around. Otae was standing there, bearing the same unclean appearance he remembered her having. She grinned at him.

"Hey, brat!" She greeted. "Who the hell gave you permission to die?"

"You can't be… it can't be…" Koushiro felt new tears filling his eyes. He knew that she was dead. Technically, the clone he encountered couldn't even be considered to have ever been alive. In a way or another, she couldn't be with him anymore.

"Of course I can't be her." Otae told him, with a sad smile. "Living people can't meet those who have died. Unless you believe in the story of Jyou's grandmother. But let's face it, a rock is more likely to be a psychic than you."

"Then…" Koushiro muttered, starting to understand. The Otae in front of him had to be a simulation, like Makoto and the others. But why would Fate have a simulation of Otae? Did she exist in his original universe? However, Koushiro's bond with the woman had been formed in specific circumstances that would be difficult to have happened somewhere else. Besides, if she was a simulation previously created, why did she not appear before? Why did none of the other simulations mention her? That couldn't be it. Fate was about to kill him… the only possible conclusion was…

"You're a product of my mind!" Koushiro exclaimed, astonished.

"You remembered me in your most desperate hour." She spoke. "And here I am, to your rescue. Apparently, even as a fragment of someone else's subconscious, I still get to be asked to solve problems."

"I made you up…" He whispered. "Are you like a hallucination?"

"Is that really the most urgent question now, you dumb brat?" Otae sounded annoyed. "Have you forgotten the danger you're in?"

Koushiro turned around again, to look at Fate. Under the dark sky, the snow was glowing faintly, as if to help the other to locate him. The Spirit of the World was furious, walking around, looking for Koushiro and ordering him to show up.

"How are you hiding me from him?" Koushiro asked, turning around to face her again.

"This is inside a computer framework devised to be compatible with the mind of Izumi Koushiro." Otae explained. "You're not as powerless here as you think."

"Am I safe now?" The boy asked.

"Do you want to be safe?" Otae questioned. "It didn't seem like it."

"I…" Koushiro had a weak voice. He was scared of death, like always. However, that fear was not enough to counter his guilt. Koushiro could no longer delude himself into thinking that he wasn't a bad person, or at least not as bad as he thought. Not when he came to know what he was capable of in his worst. How many lives did he destroy? How many would he still…? If that was the end of the line, if that was who Koushiro truly was, what point would there be in him escaping? How could he ever face anyone, how could he ever live with himself, upon knowing everything? To want to live despite all that would be a testimony of his selfishness.

"I'm horrible…" The child confessed, letting a few tears escape his eyes.

"Heh? You think you're horrible?" Otae had a mocking tone. "Have you forgotten who risked ripping the space-time continuum because she wanted to save her brother's life? Literally everybody in the universe could've died and she couldn't care less. **That** was horrible."

"You were in too much pain and weren't thinking right." Koushiro told her, only then remembering that he wasn't really talking to the woman, but to a simulation of her created by his mind. "I mean, she was in pain…" He corrected. "Otae-san was miserable… for thousands of years she tortured herself over her brother's death and then she died after reuniting with her friends! She just died, pointlessly! She just…"

Koushiro broke down in tears, hiding his face with his trembling hands. He could feel the fake Otae holding him by the shoulders, stopping him from falling to his knees. It was too much now. He couldn't keep on acting as if it didn't affect him, as if he was fine and could leave everything in the past. In the light of the recent revelations, his attempts of hiding from the truth felt futile and ridiculous. What was the point of any of that?

"What was the point?!" He inquired, bitterly. "It made no difference! I didn't help her, did I?! I just gave her false hope and then she died!" He could feel his entire body trembling. "I kept on convincing myself that she was able to do something in those few hours… as if anyone could fix a rift of thousands of years with that little time! But I couldn't… I didn't want to think about it… it hurt and I just deceived myself! I lied to her too… to everybody… what was the point…?"

It happened suddenly, he couldn't react. Otae pulled him to a tight hug. It felt nice, as if the woman he had known was comforting him. But that wasn't really her. That was just a creation of his mind. It wasn't real.

"Please, don't do this." He pleaded, uncovering his face and letting his arms fall by the sides of his body.

"Who are you to know whether she had enough time?" Otae asked. "That's completely out of your hands. You gave her an opportunity and she grabbed it. You've done everything you could."

"It doesn't matter what you think! You're just me!" Koushiro spoke with spite. "You're just my mind trying to make me feel better!"

"What's wrong with that?" Otae asked. "What's wrong with being kind to yourself?"

"I don't deserve any type of kindness!" Koushiro stated. "Why am I still talking to you? Talking to myself… this is so meaningless! It's so pathetic!"

"It helps you! Who gives a damn about anything else?" Otae slightly raised her voice as she dried the tears from under his eyes. Koushiro looked up to her and saw the most serious expression he had ever seen in that face.

"If Otae had been kinder to herself, she would've left that flying dump a lot sooner!" She affirmed. "She fell into a deplorable state and hurt everybody that cared for her! She couldn't think about anything out of her self-loathing! She treated you horribly! Despite all that, you still chose to be kind to her. Why can't you do the same to yourself? Just for the sake of it, why don't you just try to be nice to yourself, you brat?"

"I am the Spirit of the World!" Koushiro protested. "I let all those terrible things happen to her and the others! It might've been a different version of me, but it was still me in a way. I can't just disassociate myself from it. This isn't something I can push to the back of my mind as if it was a nuisance that was bound to pass! I did that to Otae-san… I don't understand why but I did it! I'm someone capable of that level of inhumanity!"

"If you can't disassociate yourself from it, how about you try to understand how it happened?" Otae suggested, smiling.

"What do you mean?" Koushiro asked, rubbing his eyes and breaking off the hug.

"The opportunity presents itself. It's up to you to take it." Otae told him, pointing to something in her front. Koushiro looked at that direction and saw Fate walking some meters away, murmuring something.

"You want me to ask him?" Koushiro questioned, alarmed.

"You know what you have to do." Otae told him.

"He's going to kill me if I approach him." The boy pointed out.

"You can't hide from him forever." Otae said. "It's not like there's any other plan. You must confront yourself if you want to live."

Koushiro stayed silent.

"What do you see when you look at him?" Otae asked, after one minute.

Koushiro looked at Fate with attention. The other him had stopped screaming his name and was now just making frustrated noises. His steps were large as he walked in circles. His fists were clenched and his shoulders were stiff. The fury in his eyes seemed to increase exponentially.

"Someone who hates me." Koushiro replied. "He despises me and can't forgive my existence. He wants to destroy me completely, without leaving any traces."

"I see someone in pain." Otae said. "Never ending, overwhelming pain… desperate to make it stop… or to get distracted from it even for a moment."

Koushiro looked at her for a couple of minutes, silently.

"Is there anything else you want to tell me?" She asked, suddenly. "You didn't have a chance to say goodbye to her back then."

"You're not her." Koushiro observed.

"So what?" She questioned. "This might be your last chance. Or would you rather go back to acting as if it didn't matter?"

"I don't know." He murmured. "I can't think in anything meaningful to say."

"It can be anything. It can be one or two words. Just say something." Otae told him. "Say what you wish you could have told her if you had the chance."

"Just to make me feel good?" He asked in low voice, turning his eyes to Fate.

"That's more than enough reason." She affirmed.

"What would she have told me if she had more time?" Koushiro asked in a murmur, looking at the woman again. He knew that the answer would not really be from Otae. Nevertheless, he wanted to hear it. If he was allowed, Koushiro wished to have a better closure with her.

"I believe she summed up everything she wanted to say in two words. She wasn't exactly good with speeches." Otae chuckled. "If she had more time, perhaps she would've developed it more, like 'I care about you, you shitty brat! You'd better die of old age surrounded by people you care about, otherwise I'll find my way back from Hell to haunt you, you idiot!' But, really, that's just me speculating."

Koushiro let a giggle escape his lips. He closed his eyes and inhaled slowly. When he reopened them, he saw Otae smiling serenely. The boy wished he had seen her in peace and happiness during their brief time together. He wished he had been able to convey how meeting her had changed him.

"Thank you." Koushiro said, gazing at her.

"It was just your sub-conscious telling you a lame joke."

"That's what I wish I could've told her." He explained. "'Thank you.'"

"You know what?" Otae smirked. "I think she would have told you that too."

Koushiro glanced at the Spirit of the World again, whose back was now turned to them, meters in their front. Fate seemed to be trembling.

"I don't know if I'm brave enough to do this." Koushiro confessed.

"Nobody is." She told him, placing a hand on his right shoulder. "But everybody has to do it anyway."

Koushiro took a step forward. The touch on his shoulder disappeared. The boy saw his other self turning around to face him.

* * *

Masami carried Koushiro to his bedroom, where he and Yoshie changed the child's wet clothes and put him in pajamas. Then, the man carried the boy to his bed and put him under the blanket.

"What happened to Koushiro-han? Is he ill?"

It was only in that moment that Masami noticed the existence of the small pink creature that was now close to his feet.

"What on Earth is that thing?!" The man yelped, sitting by the side of the bed and stretching his arms to his sides, as if to shield his son from the unknown creature.

"That's Motimon. He's Koushiro's friend from another world." Yoshie explained, quickly, sitting at the other side of the bed and checking the boy's temperature. "What happened to him?"

Masami blinked, looking from his wife to the creature below him, expecting a better explanation.

"Did you see him fainting?" Yoshie insisted. "Did you find him on the snow? For how long could he have been…? It's my fault… my f-fault!" Her voice cracked.

"Yoshie, calm down, please." Masami said, turning to her. "When I found him, he was still up. He was hallucinating, though… talking to someone invisible and…"

The man frowned, before continuing:

"He mentioned Makoto… and a violin."

Yoshie looked down, ashamed.

"We had agreed that we would wait." Masami said. "And yet you told him everything behind my back. How could you?"

"Koushiro already knew that he was adopted and kept that from us." Yoshie informed. "He confessed that to me today and I… I wanted to be honest with him as well but…" Her eyes became filled with tears. "Koushiro didn't want to hear about his parents but I insisted on telling him. I made him sad despite that not being my intention… I was upset at his behavior and I brought Makoto up… then I locked myself in my bedroom, like a coward! I didn't even see Koushiro going out! I didn't stop him and now he's…"

The woman cried profusely. Masami got up and circled the bed to sit at her side.

"I made him feel rejected!" Yoshie almost screamed. "I made him feel unloved! I was so afraid of loving him… what have I done, Masami?!"

"It's okay." Masami told her, pulling Yoshie to a hug. "It's going to be okay. He's going to wake up and we'll talk about everything properly."

"I'm awful… I'm so awful…"

"That's not true; you've done your best!" Masami tried to sooth her. "Despite it being so hard on you, despite still being in pain about Makoto, you were always so dedicated to Koushiro! You might not have realized but it was evident to me how much you loved him!"

"Koushiro-han!" Motimon shouted. He had climbed on the bed and was now approaching the child's head. "There's something wrong with him!"

The adults looked at the boy and saw him having difficulty to breathe.

"What's happening?!" Yoshie asked, desperate.

"Doctor Kido…" Masami muttered, standing up. "He might be home… he'll know what to do!"

"Bring him here, now!" Yoshie ordered, fighting the tears, not knowing what else she could do. Masami ran from the bedroom.

"There's something on his neck!" Motimon pointed out.

"They look like… finger marks?" Yoshie said, touching the red depressions on the boy's skin. "What's the meaning of this?"

Koushiro's body trembled as the boy tried to inhale with no success. Motimon pleaded for the boy to wake up.

 _He's going to die… my son…_ Yoshie felt herself sinking into a state of pure fear. _I can't lose him too! I can't… please, anything but this! If I lose him, I don't know what I… I can't! Please, don't take him away from me!_

Suddenly, Koushiro began to breathe normally, to Yoshie's and Motimon's relief. Soon after that, Masami returned, bringing the three Kido brothers with him.

Shin immediately approached the child. Shuu and Jyou, with Gomamon in his arms, took three steps into the room and stopped. Masami went to his wife's side.

"Bradycardia." Shin murmured, paling, after checking the boy's pulse. "His breathing is slow and shallow and his skin is cold. He's showing symptoms of hypothermia."

"He was suffocating just now!" Motimon informed.

"These marks on his neck…" Shin commented, frowning. "They're characteristic of someone who has been strangled."

"Oh my God…" Shuu stepped backwards, disturbed.

"Nobody strangled him!" Masami stated. "I was here when it happened! Koushiro was having difficulty to breathe without anyone touching him!"

"I'm about to graduate from medical school! I know these marks!" Shin affirmed, looking from the woman to her husband with suspicion. "Someone did this to him!"

"Nobody here did anything to him!" Motimon said. "I was here the entire time!"

"What are you trying to say? That he was strangled by a spirit?" Shin asked, sarcastically.

"It could have been that…" Jyou murmured. "Something like that happened before! An invisible force pushed me against a bookshelf and pushed Koushiro-kun into an abyss!"

"An abyss?!" Masami thought he had misheard it.

"But that was…" Motimon's face was being overtaken by fear. "It can't be! That thing can't… it's not possible!"

"Hey, don't panic!" Gomamon said. "It could've been anything! Let's not jump to the conclusion that it was the Spirit of the World!"

"Spirit of the World…?" Masami asked. "When Koushiro was hallucinating, he said that name! He referred to the other person like that!"

Jyou, Gomamon and Motimon exchanged horrified looks.

"Not that thing again!" Jyou shrieked. "Not this again! It's not fair!"

"What is happening here?" Yoshie asked. "Why do you seem so perturbed? What's this Spirit of the World?"

"He didn't want it to be part of your lives… he didn't w-want to think about it anymore…" Motimon sobbed. "But Koushiro-han couldn't just have that, could he? He couldn't just have some peace after everything he suffered, could he?!"

"Motimon, calm down!" Gomamon pleaded.

"NO!" Motimon cried, punching the mattress. "It happened again! Koushiro-han is now being tormented by that thing again! And I didn't protect him! I didn't…"

"Motimon, I know how you're feeling but-" Gomamon started.

"You have no idea how I'm feeling!" Motimon shouted. "You were always able to protect your partner! YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M FEELING!"

Gomamon didn't say anything else. He looked down, feeling his eyes getting warm. Jyou looked at Koushiro's parents, bearing confused and scared expressions. He approached them, still holding his partner.

"The Spirit of the World was a kind of deity of the Digital World." Jyou told the adults. "It hurt Koushiro-kun in the past… it psychologically tormented him and almost got him killed..."

"By shoving him into an abyss?" Masami asked in a murmur.

"And also by impersonating his dead parents and telling him to die." Gomamon added.

Koushiro's parents gasped and paled intensively.

"You can't just say something like that out of the blue, Gomamon!" Jyou scolded his partner.

"Shunsui and…" Yoshie stepped away from the bed, trembling. "Told him to…?"

Koushiro didn't want to talk about them. He didn't want to look at their picture. She had assumed he was being insensitive but the truth was that he was traumatized. The people she saw as loving parents were not that to Koushiro. She had forced him to remember a horrific experience.

Yoshie began to hyperventilate and couldn't bear to stay in the bedroom anymore. She walked away in large steps, almost running. She got to the living room and saw the violin on the couch. The woman fell to her knees in front of it.

"Yoshie!" Masami called her. He followed his wife and found her crying at the feet of the couch. "You couldn't have known!"

"He didn't tell me any of that." She mumbled. "Koushiro never tells me when I hurt him. I can't stand it! Why does he have to be like that?"

"Koushiro has never been much of a complainer, has he?" Masami muttered. "That hadn't caught my attention before… I thought he was just a happy kid..." A few tears accumulated in his eyes. "I think I'm not a very perceptive person… or maybe I just didn't want to face things. I'm so sorry, Yoshie… I'm so sorry…"

He glanced at the couch and was surprised to see the violin there.

"Were you playing it?" He asked, not able to hide his surprise.

"I've been so stupid." She said. "I've clung to the past for so long… now I don't know if I'll have the chance to play it to him…"

"He heard you playing." Masami said.

"What?" Yoshie was astonished.

"Before fainting, Koushiro had asked why the violin had stopped. I think he thought that something had happened to you and was worried."

"He couldn't have listened to it outside the building, not in this weather!" Yoshie interjected. "It's impossible!"

"I'm just telling you what I heard him say." Masami explained. "Your music reached him."

Yoshie picked the instrument and looked at it with attention. If her son could listen to the music by some miracle, could she still communicate with him? Could she still reach him? Was there any hope?

Hope was everything she could afford to have in that moment.

* * *

 _He won't escape… he can't escape. Where is he? Where did he go? He can't escape from me! No! No! Show up! Where are you?! You can't just walk away! Face me! Face me! You have done this to me! You did this! You have to pay!_

 _I can't see well… my sight…_

The Spirit of the World stopped wandering around in the snow and took his left hand to his eyes. After rubbing them, he looked at the water drops on his fingertips.

 _Why am I doing this…? I don't have a body, I can't…. my throat can't get sore for shouting… I don't need to breathe, why am I doing so? And so erratically…?_

None of that was real. All was just emulations of a human body that had long perished. Emulations that should have ended already.

 _Why am I stuck in this form? Why can't I…? In my mind… but that's everything I am! These sensations aren't real! None of this is real! It's just malfunction! Residuals of his… but I'm not…! I'm not… I can't even feel real pain!_

Fate opened his eyes, not knowing when he had closed them. He looked down and saw those trembling bloody arms slightly stretched forward.

 _Blood… so much blood… my… blood…_

He could almost see himself once again chained to that metallic chair, with stringed needles stuck on his arms, and the ceiling covered in strings and cables connected to the chair. He could almost hear Wisemon's voice from an audio device behind the chair.

"No…" Fate mumbled, walking backwards. _That wasn't me! That didn't happen to me! It was to Izumi Koushiro! It's his pain! I can't feel anything! None of this is real… it's just illusions! Glitches! Not mine! None of this is mine! It's all his! His corruption! His imperfection! All because of him! Because of him!_

Out of nowhere, he felt Izumi Koushiro's presence again, behind him. Just as suddenly as it had vanished before. He turned around slowly and faced the other. Koushiro was standing on the snow, a few meters away. The boy's body trembled weakly but he did not take his eyes from the Spirit of the World.

"About time you came back." Fate spoke darkly, walking in his direction. Koushiro bit his lower lip and took a small step back. However, the child did not run away. He looked into Fate's eyes with a serious expression that conveyed determination in spite o fear. The Spirit noticed how swollen the area under his eyes was, indicating that Koushiro had been crying.

"How did you pull that trick off?" Fate inquired. He had stopped a couple of feet away from the boy. "I didn't know you could hide from me in my world. It was a smart move to return, though. If I had to look for you for much longer, your demise would have to be way crueler than necessary."

"You're crying." Koushiro made an observation, looking at the other's face.

"That's a glitch!" Fate said back, wiping the remaining tears from his eyes with his right hand. "I have errors in my programming because of Izumi Koushiro. Involuntary emulations of his emotions; such inconvenience!"

"Are you like Otae-san?" Koushiro asked, unperturbed.

"What?" Fate wasn't expecting that question.

"She was a kind of AI based on a real person, wasn't she? Just like you." Koushiro explained.

"The original chosen children were killed for the sake of creating defective clones that thought like them…" The Spirit said. "If you think about it that way, there are similarities. But I'm considerably more complex than those sad existences."

"The Otae-san I knew never met Shinsuke-san. Nevertheless, she suffered because of his death for thousands of years." Koushiro told the other. "Her pain was so great that she lost grip of reality. And she dived into illusions trying to escape from that misery."

"That idiot believed she was an actual person; that was her mistake." Fate snarled. "She confused emulations with genuine emotions and entered in a glitch loop."

"Her pain was real!" Koushiro stated. "Her love, her grief, her regret… she felt everything with intensity and suffered because of it! Her emotions were real. I doubt she was different from the previous Otae-san!"

"Of course she was different!" Fate contested. "The thing you met was never human! None of those silly clones were! It's utterly pathetic, don't you think?" He grinned. "All the ridiculous problems they thought they had, all the stupid mistakes they made… everything was built upon a fake reality they believed in."

"What do you think makes someone human?" Koushiro inquired. "Does it really matter to you if the person has lived the things that brought them pain? Isn't experiencing that pain through memories enough?"

"Where are you going with these questions?" Fate asked, annoyed. "If your point is to call me a murderer for not saving your dumb predecessor, it'd be more meaningful if you brought up the actual children that I let die instead. But you don't give a damn about people you didn't get to know, do you?" He smirked. "You killed hundreds of digimon not long ago, yet you don't seem even slightly affected by it."

Koushiro gulped, blinking twice. He closed his trembling fists and glanced at the snow for a few seconds. Then, he looked up at Fate again. The child's eyes were filled with sadness and resignation.

"I don't regret what I did." Koushiro said.

"You are so despicable, Izumi Koushiro." Fate commented, with satisfaction. "You're truly rotten to the core."

"You like to think of me as a bad person, don't you?" Koushiro asked. "It's easier for you."

"Nothing has ever been easy for me." Fate retorted. "You're the one in fault for that."

"You treat me as an outside force and blame me for everything that went wrong with you." The child seemed to be thinking aloud. "You cope through disassociation… you set myself to be the enemy you must destroy."

"That's what you are!" Fate affirmed, raising his voice. "All of you, Izumi Koushiro, are responsible for whatever bad deeds I've committed! I was created to watch over the Digital Worlds and I try to guard them the best I can but you…" Fate took one step forward, leaning in the other's direction. He could see cold sweat covering Koushiro's face. "If my methods are not efficient, if my thoughts get confused, if I happen to make mistakes and someone gets hurt because of it… that's because of what you did to me! It's because of the remnants of your weak heart that still cling to me!"

Unexpectedly, Koushiro smirked.

 _What is he doing?_ The Spirit of the World wondered. _What did he find funny? I just pointed out that he's responsible for everything I've done! Everything I've done that wasn't right was due to his influence! Why doesn't that make him feel guilty? It has always… what is different this time?_

"You are so sad." Koushiro was seemingly muffling a laugh. "For all that time I thought you were some all powerful and all knowing demon… I was so wrong!" He chuckled, closing his tear brimmed eyes for a couple of seconds. When the boy reopened them, he looked at Fate with pity. "You are so pathetic!"

"What did you just say?" Fate could feel his insides boiling. His urge to destroy that human was stronger than ever.

"You are pathetic!" Koushiro reiterated. "All you ever do is lying to yourself! You convinced everybody that you're a god but you're just the same scared child you've-"

The Spirit of the World slapped Koushiro, making the child fall on the snow with violence. The boy crawled backwards and only stood up again once he was out of Fate's immediate reach.

"You ungrateful brat." The Spirit had a deep and cold tone. He glared at Koushiro with wide open eyes. "You speak to me with that unfounded arrogance despite all my effort in being merciful to you. To think that I was willing to let you reunite with your real family… that I let you talk to your parents and know that they loved you… why did I ever waste my kindness on you?"

Koushiro's eyes widened and the boy paled.

"You thought you were being kind to me…?" The child asked, in disbelief. "You seriously…? That can't be true! Nobody could actually think…"

"What's so strange about it?" Fate inquired. "You used to be Yukimura Koushiro. While you were that, everything was fine…" A couple of tears shone in the Spirit's eyes. "You weren't supposed to be separated from your parents!" The tears rolled down his cheeks. "Why wouldn't you want to be with them again?"

 _So this is it._ Koushiro finally understood. It wasn't simply for hatred, despite that been a part of it. It wasn't for a grand plan or a greater good, despite the other's excuses. What motivated Fate to hurt him was quite different from everything Koushiro had ever imagined and so much sadder.

"My parents are Izumi Yoshie and Izumi Masami." Koushiro informed.

"You will never be their son!" Fate stated. "You don't belong with them and you know that! You'll never stop being the Winter child! Forcing yourself into their family will only bring misery to everyone! Why do it, then?! It's wrong!" His body started to tremble. "You're not entitled to call them your parents! You should never… if only you had never…"

The child observed the desperation in the other's eyes and couldn't help but to feel sympathy.

"You…" Koushiro muttered, heading to where Fate was standing. "You feel a lot of guilt, don't you?"

"What madness is that? I'm not capable of feeling anything!" Fate contested. "All I have are emulations of your residual emotions! Glitches that shall end!"

"Stop lying already!" Koushiro ordered, stopping one step away from the other. "It's just the two of us here! Can't we just be honest with ourselves, for a change?"

"You're not making any sense! Have you already lost your sanity, Izumi Koushiro?" Fate had a mocking tone. "Have you hit your breaking point? So weak… you're always so weak…"

"You felt guilty for surviving your biological parents, didn't you?" Koushiro asked, noticing how Fate paled after hearing that. "Then, you felt guilty for being adopted and tried to distance yourself from the Izumis. And the guilt worsened whenever they wanted to make you feel welcomed. You didn't believe you deserved to be treated so nicely and shut yourself off! You thought they would just give up on you but they didn't… you knew you were hurting them but couldn't bring yourself to change your behavior! At some point, you became a chosen child and years later your parents were killed by digimon. Your guilt was so big that you couldn't live with it anymore!"

"I never met those people! They meant nothing to me!" Fate retorted, taking a step back. "I don't have the capability or the motivation to feel guilty!"

"Liar!" Koushiro accused. "You remember everything from the time when you were alive, don't you? Just like Otae-san suffered because of her brother, you still suffer because of your parents!"

"They were not my parents! I'm a computer program!" Fate stated.

"They died and you regretted your behavior towards them! And maybe you also believed that they wouldn't have died if you weren't a chosen child. You were overridden with guilt! You had to do something about it otherwise you'd lose your mind!" Koushiro theorized. "Then, when Wisemon asked your help to create a security system for the Digital World, you jumped on the suggestion! You thought that 'Homeostasis' would prevent new tragedies like the one that killed your parents and that would repair-!"

"IZUMI KOUSHIRO COULD NEVER REPAIR WHAT HE DID!" Fate roared. "IZUMI KOUSHIRO WAS AN UNFORGIVEABLE PIECE OF TRASH THAT DESERVED TO DISAPPEAR FROM THE WORLD!"

"But he can never disappear!" Koushiro contested. "It doesn't matter how much time passes or how many times you kill me, the person you hate the most can never disappear! You can never end him, so you try to pretend that he exists outside of you."

"Everything ends. Nothing is eternal." Fate affirmed. "Izumi Koushiro shall end too!"

"Like the mountain the little bird chiseled away?" Koushiro asked. "Hikari-san said that the answer to the third question made you sad. If endings make you sad, why do you seek them?"

"I DON'T FEEL SADNESS!" The Spirit denied. "I DON'T FEEL ANYTHING!"

"Your feelings won't disappear because you want them to." Koushiro told him. "Pretending that you're fine and burying your emotions with the hope that one day they'll magically stop affecting you will just make you suffer more!"

"Stop talking to me as if I were human!" Fate ordered "I was never human! The one that had emotions and suffered was Izumi Koushiro! I can't feel anything!"

"You need to accept who you are!" The child urged.

"I AM _THE SPIRIT OF THE WORLD_!" Fate stated.

"NO!" The child shouted. "You are Izumi Koushiro!"

Fate didn't reply. He stared at the other in shock.

"You're self-destructive and have serious self-loathing issues, I get it." Koushiro said. "It's hard to deal with it and you don't know what to do with your pain, so you torment other versions of us. You externalize your issues and try to disassociate yourself from them but it doesn't work. You can't continue like that."

"I am not Izumi Koushiro… I am not Izumi Koushiro…" Fate repeated to himself in low voice, with a blank expression. "I am not…"

"I could help you." The child told the other. "We are the same person. I must be the only one truly capable of understanding you. How about you give me a chance? I might actually be able to help you!"

The Spirit looked at the boy reaching out to him, offering a hand. That was not what Izumi Koushiro was supposed to do. Why would he try to help him now, when that never occurred before? It had to be a trick.

"You're going to die by my hands." Fate promised. "Like all the other times, you'll die in agony, scared… and full of hatred."

"Is that what happened to you?" Koushiro asked. "Is that how you died?"

What happened to him…?

That question echoed in Fate's mind, bringing up memories that he wished had disappeared. The remembrance came so violently and sudden that he couldn't disassociate himself from it. He couldn't think properly.

He was getting ready to see the Christmas lights with Hikari when Wisemon arrived and told the boy that he needed help to finish Homeostasis.

 _"Kou! You promised to go out with Hikari-chan! She won't forgive you if you get late!"_ Makoto had reprimanded him.

 _"Don't worry."_ Koushiro had said, showing a reassuring smile. _"I'll be right back!"_

When he arrived in the laboratory, Wisemon gave him a cup of tea. It was too bitter and Koushiro only drank half of it. Then, he felt sleepy.

He woke up chained to the chair, with needles stuck in his arms, feeling pain in his entire body.

 _"You already woke up?"_ Wisemon's voice had come from an audio device somewhere behind the chair. _"To think I went through all the trouble to prevent you from feeling pain. Well, I can't stop the process now."_

 _"Process?!"_ Koushiro had inquired, afraid. _"What are you talking about?"_

 _"I thought I had told you that I needed your help to solve the AI problem."_ Wisemon had explained, calmly. _"I'm going to completely scan your neural system and upload the data to Homeostasis. Your brilliant mind will be a perfect basis for my greatest creation."_

 _"Scan? Am I going to be okay?"_ Koushiro had tried to hold to any hope he had.

 _"Sadly, you won't resist the process."_ Wisemon had informed. _"But be proud! Your sacrifice is necessary for Homeostasis to be complete. Thanks to you, many Digital Worlds will be safe."_

 _"No…"_ Koushiro had murmured. That couldn't be serious. Wisemon couldn't really be intending to kill him, could he? All hope the boy had up to that moment was lost when he felt something heavy and cold being attached to his head.

 _"Don't d-do this to me! P-please, don't kill me!"_ Koushiro had begun to cry. _"I don't want to die! Please, don't kill me! DON'T KILL ME!"_

Hundreds of little needles forced their way against his skull. They entered his brain. It was the most intense pain he had ever felt. He screamed his lungs out and contorted in the chair for what felt like an eternity. He no longer had coherent thoughts. All that existed was excruciating pain and fear.

Next thing he knew, he couldn't see anything. Nor could he feel his body. But Wisemon's voice came to him.

 _"It seems that you got a lot of corruption from Koushiro's agony. Maybe I should've sedated him again before continuing. It's going to be messy to fix this."_

He had been killed… he had been killed and turned into something else.

 _"I'll fix these glitches in no time."_

Wisemon had tricked him and killed him.

 _"This damn glitch! Why can't I get rid of it? To which extent is Homeostasis damaged?"_

Koushiro remembered. He remembered it all, every detail. He was a boy so terrified and angry… so human. And then, he died. His life was taken from him. His humanity was supplanted by computer programming. Everything he was, everything he loved, was lost forever. And the rests of his soul slowly eroded.

 _"There is something eternal!"_

Makoto's voice echoed in his mind. When did he tell him that? Was that the real Makoto or one of his simulations? Did that happen at all or was it a dream?

 _"Even if you get lost… even if you drown in desperation… there's something nobody can take from you! Not Wisemon, not a bird… there's something that can't be destroyed!"_

To lose himself scared him. But being able to remember terrified him a lot more. As long as there was a part of him that resisted, the memory of that pain would devour him. It was so much easier to believe that none of that was real. It was simpler to embrace the void instead of barricading against it; it was better to long for erasure than to fear it. At least he wouldn't suffer anymore.

He wouldn't feel anything. He would be the artificial intelligence he had wished to create and protect all worlds. No more guilt, no more doubts, no more solitude. To just disappear… to just destroy himself… if he cut everything that reminded him of what he had lost, he'd be in peace.

To motivate him to do that, it wasn't enough to label those past experiences as not really his. He had to believe they belonged to someone loathsome. Someone who didn't deserve to live and whose death wasn't tragic but just… that made things less complicated. That would have to work. It would fix everything.

It was easy to hate himself.

But his determination to let go of the past and getting rid of that pain didn't bring him the desired bliss, only more despair.

What should he do, then? What was there left to do?

Freezing wind descended on him and the other child.

"Are you alright?" The boy asked, looking at him with what seemed to be concern.

"I'm not Homeostasis…" He said, feeling as if every word that left his lips had enough power to tear apart universes. "I'm not Fate… I'm not the Spirit of the World…"

"That's right." That boy smiled at him. "I'm glad you came to understand that."

"These feelings… are dreadful!" He cried. "It hurts so much… I can't stand it… I don't want to feel like this!"

"I know it hurts." Koushiro told him. "But we have to go through this. We have to feel this pain, otherwise we'll learn nothing."

"Learn…?" He asked. "What could I learn from this awfulness?"

"For starters, let's try to be more forgiving of ourselves." Koushiro proposed. "Let's try to be kind and to treat ourselves better, Koushiro."

The absurdity of that suggestion was enough to destabilize his world. Preposterous! Unfeasible! To be kind to Izumi Koushiro… that never happened! To forgive him?! That was impossible! That had to be against every law established in every universe!

But that could be the only thing that could help him. It could change things.

He would no longer be himself if he tried to do that! What would he become instead? For how long would that last? It wouldn't work… it couldn't work…

It could be the only way.

He knew what would bring him peace! He knew who could fix him!

But if he was wrong about Izumi Koushiro…

No! That couldn't be it! It couldn't be true!

He was wrong! He was lying to himself!

NO!

Wasn't clinging to hope better than sticking to self-destructiveness? If there was a chance of salvation in there… if Izumi Koushiro could…

"IZUMI KOUSHIRO CAN'T SAVE ME!" He screamed as his form broke down into billions of snowflakes.

The wind increased suddenly, burying Koushiro under heavy snow.

* * *

"So Koushiro-kun is adopted." Shuu commented, leaning against the bedroom's wall. "I never suspected."

"There's still prejudice against adoption in Japan. It's not strange that they kept it a secret." Shin said, checking the redhead's pulse.

"You thought that his parents had hurt him, didn't you? How could you think such a horrible thing?" Jyou asked, sitting on the chair close to the desk, over which Gomamon looked at Motimon, concerned.

"Parents abusing their kids are more common than you think." Shin told the boy. "If you're going to be a doctor, you need to be prepared for that reality."

"Koushiro-han's parents love him." Motimon affirmed, watching his partner sleep by his side. A red mark had appeared on one of Koushiro's cheeks not long ago, without anyone doing anything. "They wouldn't knowingly cause him harm."

"He's going to be okay, Motimon." Gomamon tried to cheer his friend up. "We saved him last time, remember? Now it's not so bad! He's just sleeping. Koushiro is going to wake up soon."

"How can he be saved when we can't reach him?" Motimon asked in low voice. "We can't enter his dreams and bring him back!"

 _Maybe Wizarmon could…_ Jyou thought, looking at the closed window. The sound of the wind had gotten more terrifying.

"His temperature is dropping!" Shin spoke, suddenly.

"I can get more blankets!" Shuu said, heading to the wardrobe. He took out three sheets and he, along with Shin and Motimon, covered Koushiro the best they could. But the child's temperature was still dropping.

"It's pointless…" Shin whispered, disheartened. "It's not caused by the environment… there's nothing we can do!"

"No way…" Shuu murmured, feeling his heart getting heavy.

Motimon cried silently, looking at how increasingly paler his partner was getting. Gomamon jumped to the bed and put one of his hands on his friend's back.

"T-There must be a way…" Not even the seal digimon believed himself. "There has to be…"

Jyou jumped from the chair. Shin put himself in his front after the younger brother had taken only a few steps forward.

"Where are you going?" Shin asked, seriously.

"Wizarmon can enter other people's minds. He could help Koushiro-kun!" Jyou said. "I resisted his telepathy last time! I should be okay."

"You're not going out!" Shin prohibited, holding Jyou by the right wrist.

"Jyou, what are you doing?" Gomamon questioned, turning to his partner.

"Jyou, you're… you're joking, right?" Shuu asked, nervously.

"Let go of me, Shin-niisan!" Jyou ordered, glaring at his brother. "Finding Wizarmon might be the only chance to help Koushiro-kun!"

"That digimon attacked you, Jyou!" Shuu shouted.

"Jyou, you're not seriously thinking on going out in this snowstorm, are you?" Gomamon asked, fearful. "You don't even know where that guy is! If you go, you'll wander in the cold until you pass out!"

"You're going to get yourself killed out there!" Shin told him.

"I have to do it!" Jyou protested. "Even if the chance is small, I need to do it!"

Shin held his brother's other wrist as well. Shuu went to Jyou and embraced him by the back, immobilizing his arms.

"I'm sorry, little brother. It's for your own good." Shuu apologized.

"What are you two doing?! Let me go!" Jyou yelled, trying to break free. He looked at his partner on the bed by his side. "Gomamon, help me! You need to help me, otherwise Koushiro-kun will die!"

Gomamon balanced his head, letting a single tear roll from his right eye.

"I'm sorry, Jyou." The digimon said. "I can't do this… not this time. Don't ask me to do this."

"Gomamon…?" Jyou murmured.

Purple light came from a drawer in the desk, startling everybody. Shuu let go of Jyou and went to open it. He took the digivice out.

"Why is it shining?" Jyou asked. "What does that mean?"

"Bring it here!" Motimon ordered. Shuu gave the object to the little monster, who pulled the blankets and put the digivice on Koushiro's chest.

"What are you trying to do?" Gomamon asked.

"Koushiro-han's heart is still fighting." Motimon spoke with hope. "It's not over yet!"

"Really?" Jyou smiled.

"I don't understand…" Shin muttered, unconsciously letting go of Jyou.

"I don't think we can make sense of this." Shuu said.

Masami and Yoshie entered the bedroom and went to the right side of their son's bed. The woman was holding her violin. They looked at the shining digivice, not knowing what it meant. Nevertheless, a small smile appeared on the mother's lips.

 _He's still alive._

She looked at her son's pale face, lovingly.

"I wish I had done this sooner." Yoshie said. "Please, accept it, son."

She placed the violin on her shoulder and touched the strings with the bow.

* * *

 _Cold… so cold…_

Koushiro was trying to make his way out of the snow above him. When he managed to come to the surface, his entire body was freezing and he couldn't do anything other than to crawl. Soon, he wasn't able to move anymore. The howling wind carried more snow. The boy understood how futile his attempt to escape was.

 _Did it make no difference…? I couldn't help him… and now I'm going to die here, alone… am I never going to see them again…?_

He thought about his parents and all the time they spent together, about his partner and how concerned the digimon had always been for him, about Jyou, Sora, Mimi, Takeru… about Taichi and Otae… and then thought about a dream he had after falling into the abyss. Those two voices telling him to go back. Those voices he knew from a memory from the factory.

The people who looked like him and looked at him like his parents did.

The ghosts that had tried to take him away were illusions built upon guilt and regret. But Koushiro still felt haunted by them. He still feared what they represented. He feared that they would take him away from his family.

 _If I had explained… if I had let her know how I felt… she would've understood, right? We could've talked things through and I as well would have understood her… but I was afraid. I was so afraid… now I'll never have that chance again. I'll die here without knowing… without anyone knowing…_

Those thoughts shook his core. He couldn't accept that conclusion.

 _I don't want things to end like this! I don't want to let all of that unsaid! I want another chance! It can't be over yet! I can't die yet! Not without telling anyone… not without knowing… I want to know!_

A warm feeling erupted from his heart and spread through his body. Koushiro, who was facing the snowy ground, noticed a purple glow coming from his arms stretched in front of him.

 _I want to know!_ He continued. _I know so little about you… I kept myself distant for so long… let's talk! Let's get to know one another better, please… I want to know you and I want you to know me! Mom! Dad!_

The song of a violin came from the world under the clouds. The wind ceased and the snowflakes stopped moving in midair. From the snow below, flowers of white light blossomed, surrounding the boy.

He felt strong enough to stand up and did so. Koushiro was marveled at the image of the flowers growing from the snow, covering the ground until where he could see. The sweet song filled his ears. He didn't understand why but the melody brought him immense peace.

 _Is this a trap…? Was that first song a trap to begin with…?_ Koushiro wondered. _Or is it my mother playing? This song… it feels like it's calling me… is she calling me? Is she playing to me?_ His eyes became wetter. _Could she really be playing to me? Why would she…? I want to know… I want to ask her…_

The last thing Koushiro remembered was sinking into that warm sensation and then falling through layers of clouds. Thousands of flowers floated around him, resonating with Yoshie's song.

* * *

Koushiro woke up and found his family around him. Masami let out an exclamation of joy and shook Yoshie's shoulder. The woman opened her eyes, stopped playing the violin and looked at the child. She smiled and cried at the same time. Motimon jumped on him, hugging his neck. The boy tried to sit up and noticed the glowing digivice on his chest, picking it up.

Shin approached him to check his pulse and his temperature. Shuu picked Gomamon from the bed (who was reminding everybody that he was right and they should've listened to him) and called Shin to give the family some privacy. The phone on the desk rang and Jyou picked it up. From the way he talked, Koushiro deduced it was Mimi on the other side of the line and that she was crying. He wanted to say something but Jyou had already left the bedroom with the phone, trying to calm the girl down.

Koushiro was left alone with his parents and Motimon.

"Did Fate hurt you?" The digimon asked.

"I was the one hurting myself." The child told him. "I'm going to explain everything but first I…" Koushiro turned to his parents, who were standing at his right. "There are so many things I want to talk about…"

"I'm sorry for the misunderstandings." Yoshie apologized. "I never wanted to hurt you, if I knew…" A couple of tears escaped her eyes.

"I'm going to let you know." Koushiro promised. "Please, let me know as well. I don't want to hurt you either."

"Of course." Yoshie agreed, smiling at him.

"I'd like it if we cleared everything up." Masami said. "There are conversations that we've avoided for too long."

"But we don't have to touch on any subject that is too painful." Yoshie assured.

"No, it's okay." Koushiro told them. "I need to talk about those painful things and sort my feelings out… it'd help me."

"It's okay to feel bad." Motimon said, now hugging his partner's left arm. "You can count with our support."

"Thank you." Koushiro murmured. He looked at his mother, who had the violin in one hand and the bow in the other.

"That song…?" The boy spoke before finishing formulating the question.

"Mozart's Concerto nº 5 in A Major." Yoshie replied. "It's a song that I play to the people I love." She sat on the bed, by his side, placing the instrument on her lap. She caressed her son's face gently and beamed at him. "I play it to my family."

Many tears formed in Koushiro's eyes. He didn't try to stop them from falling.

"C-Could you play it to me one more time?" The child asked, timidly. "I'd like it… I'd like to listen to you again."

Yoshie did not reply with words. Instead, she let the music speak. It had always been the most appropriate language to translate the matters of her heart.


	32. Prelude to a ballad

**Chapter 32: Prelude to a ballad**

Picodevimon had lived in that village ever since he could remember. It was located on the edge of a forest, right before a cliff, under which the waves of the ocean hitting a rocky wall could be heard. The houses were made of rock and wood and were simple: two floors at maximum, one single door and two or three windows. The only exception was a tall tower that belonged to a secluded scholar called Vamdemon, the closest building to the sea. There was no sign of doors there; only two windows were visible in the highest level: one directed at the village and the other at the huge mass of water below.

Picodevimon had been told that he had been brought there as a baby to give company to Vamdemon. However, the vampire digimon died of an unexpected illness not long after the baby's arrival. He was taken care of by the other villagers until he evolved to his child form and was able to fly to the lone tower by himself. Despite being dusty, the interior was luxurious.

There was an open coffin in the middle of the room, the inside covered in red velvet. A silver chandelier hung from the roof right above a wooden table that had a white sheet with flower drawings on it. Close to the sea window, there were an armchair and a telescope. A circular shelf filled with books occupied most of the wall. A hole in the floor led to stairs that led to other rooms full of books.

One book in particular caught Picodevimon's attention. It was lying on the table, among empty glass cups and bottles. Its cover was red and had written on it, in golden letters, _Prophecy Recompilation_.

Curious, Picodevimon read the book. When he came across a particular prophecy, he wasn't able to turn the page for a while.

 _'_ _In the world of the humans, a monster that defied death would rise and rule the mortals. Venomvamdemon, lord of the night, invincible until Love engulfs him.'_

He knew that he could become Vamdemon one day. That was probably the reason why he had been brought to the scholar that used to live in that tower. Then, it should be possible for him to evolve further and become Venomvamdemon.

The prospect of being the monster in that prophecy delighted him. That was so much more interesting than having a boring life in a village where nothing happened. That was so much more compelling than wasting his time with ordinary digimon that didn't even like to read and couldn't hold intelligent conversations!

That prophecy had to be about him. He had to be the monster that would go to the human world and rule the mortals that inhabited it. Picodevimon imagined himself as an all powerful king feared by the people and was fascinated by the idea. He would be grand and invincible.

On the following day, he told the other villagers about the prophecy, expecting them to acknowledge his superiority and overall greatness. However, the villagers made fun of him. They said that the human world was nothing but a legend and that, even if it existed, there was no way a weak Picodevimon like him would evolve to ultimate level and become a conqueror.

Humiliated, Picodevimon swore that he would make the prophecy come true. He studied the books inside the tower for years, only leaving it to find food in the forest. Whenever they saw him, the villagers asked how his world domination plans were going. Their mocking tones enraged him deeply. Every time, he swore to them that he would go to the human world and prove them wrong.

His spite fueled his obsession as he devoured book after book, learning about magic, history and prophecies. Even awake, he dreamed about becoming Venomvamdemon and bringing terror upon the world. Maybe, he could teach a lesson to those foolish villagers first.

He came to learn about Fate and was convinced that the almighty being had to be behind those prophecies. Fate had to have prepared things for Picodevimon to go to that specific village and find that specific book, for no other reason than to make the digimon aware of his destiny. It had to be that! Everything made sense that way!

The final part of the prophecy, which said that his invincibility would end once he was engulfed by love, did not worry him.

"Then, I simply must never love anyone." He concluded, satisfied. That wasn't going to be a difficult task.

In one hot day, Picodevimon was taking a nap in the cozy coffin when he heard screams coming from the village. He peeked outside and saw a circular gate in the sky, sucking the villagers into it. On the ground, a digimon that looked like an angel wearing a purple helmet was pointing his large golden sword to the circle.

 _That's a Holyangemon_ , Picodevimon thought. _What did he just do? Where did he send the villagers? Why did he do that?_

The circular gate was closed and disappeared in the clear noon sky. It didn't seem like there was anyone left but him and the invader. Holyangemon turned his face in the tower's direction, earning a shriek from Picodevimon.

 _I need to escape!_ The bat monster thought, terrified. He looked for the _Prophecy Recompilation_ book and, after finding it, tried to take flight carrying it. However, it was far too heavy. During Picodevimon's frustrated attempts, Holyangemon arrived at the top of the tower and entered through the window.

That overwhelming presence made the child level monster forget to flap his wings in midflight, causing him to fall on the floor along with the book. He quickly stood up, but soon cowered in fear of the angel walking in his direction.

"Are you going to resist me as well?" Holyangemon inquired in a grave tone.

"R-Resist?" Picodevimon stuttered.

The angel stopped a couple of steps in front of the smaller monster and looked down on him, still holding the sword in his right hand. At least the bat digimon assumed that the angel was doing that, considering that Holyangemon's eyes were covered by the purple helmet.

"I'm assembling an army to bring peace to this world." The angel informed. "I requested the villagers for support and they refused the call. To oppose me is the same as opposing the Spirit of the World, therefore they had to be punished."

"The Spirit of the World…?" Picodevimon could not hide his surprise. What could that angel have to do with Fate?

Holyangemon smiled proudly before replying:

"I was chosen by the Great Spirit to pacify the Digital World."

 _Fate chose him? No… it can't be true! No!_ Picodevimon didn't want to believe in that. _Why him? What made him special enough to deserve such an honor?_

Picodevimon was intelligent and determined. He was certainly someone worthy of being chosen by Fate. That brute angel, however… it couldn't be right! It couldn't be true!

"Why do you look at me with such angry eyes?" Holyangemon inquired, tightening the grip on the sword. "Does a mere Picodevimon like you intend to oppose me?"

The perfect level digimon positioned the sword in front of his body. He held the hilt with both hands and made the point of the weapon lightly touch the rocky floor. Picodevimon saw his reflection on the blade.

 _Is that me?_ He asked himself, staring at the reflection of a pathetic little digimon, sweaty and trembling in front of Holyangemon. _That can't be me! I'm the one who will rule the human world one day! I can't look that pathetic! I can't look that weak!_

"What's your answer?" Holyangemon asked. "Do you intend to oppose me?"

Picodevimon wished to send that angel to hell, like he did with every digimon that had ever angered him. But he knew that, unlike the villagers, Holyangemon wouldn't just laugh that off. He was in front of a powerful digimon that had no qualms regarding murder. If Picodevimon wanted to survive to one day become Venomvamdemon, he had to be smart. He had to fool that barbaric monster and take advantage of him.

"If you allow me, I'd be more than honored to serve you…" Picodevimon spoke those words feeling as if he was poisoning himself. He had to continue, he had to be convincing! He forced himself to finish the sentence with a smile, "Holyangemon-sama."

The angel grinned, approvingly.

Picodevimon was taken from the tower, unable to bring any book with him. From that day on, he would work with Nanomon in an abandoned castle Holyangemon had turned into a base, located on a hill close to a forest. His duties consisted mostly in research and lab work. Sometimes, he was ordered to take Holyangemon's dinner to his private chamber in the highest tower. Picodevimon tried to knock on the doors in the beginning but soon learned that the angel never answered. Then, he slightly opened the wooden doors and slipped in, carrying the food plate on his head. The room was always dark and he could listen to the angel's murmurs coming from some corner:

 _"_ _I'm doing the right thing. Everything I do is right."_

That was what they used to sound like.

Picodevimon missed the books from his tower immensely, above all the one that had his prophecy. He once tried to talk Nanomon into bringing the books from his tower to the castle but was met with scorn:

"A Picodevimon thinks he has something to offer me?" Nanomon asked, laughing at his face.

Once again, he was looked down. Whoever set eyes at him saw nothing more than a simple Picodevimon. But whenever the frustration torn him from the inside, Picodevimon remembered about the prophecy.

 _They can laugh as much as they want but they'll pay for it._ He used to think. _Once I evolve, I'll make them all regret looking down at me! I'll murder them myself, starting with that angel!_

However, no matter how many centuries passed, he continued to be Picodevimon. Holyangemon had evolved and was now acclaimed as an emperor by his followers and a Bloody Lord by his enemies. Seraphimon was treated as the most fearsome and powerful digimon in the world, especially after he obliterated an entire continent. Picodevimon, on the other hand, went almost completely unnoticed in that castle.

A weaker digimon would have begun to doubt his glorious destiny by then, but that was not who he was. Every day and night, Picodevimon reminded himself of the prophecy. He couldn't be just another face in the crowd, just another creature whose life amounted to nothing.

 _I will be Venomvamdemon! I will conquer the human world! I will slay every fool that ever doubted me!_

But he didn't have the chance to get his revenge on the angel.

In one of the nights where he had slipped in to bring Seraphimon's dinner, he was greeted by a female voice that said "Hello."

The room was dark but some moon light came from the large glass window. A silhouette of a slim angel with five pairs of wings could be seen in front of it, partially leaning to the right, lifting a spear that seemed to be soaked in thick liquid. The scent of blood filled the place.

"Who are you? Where's Seraphimon-sama?"

"The name my brother used to call me must never be pronounced again." She said in low voice. "I'm the one who has taken Seraphimon's life. I'm the one who will watch over the Digital World from now on and correct what he's done."

 _She killed him?!_ Picodevimon thought, trembling in fear. _How insanely strong must she be?_

"A-Are you my new master now?" Picodevimon asked. "Mistress?"

"I could be that, if you want." She replied. "I could take care of you as my own child."

 _I'm nobody's child!_ Picodevimon protested in thought, spiteful. The sound of footsteps came from the corridor outside.

"You'd better leave." She said, turning to the window and opening it. "Things are about to get messy here."

"You're… letting me go?" Picodevimon couldn't believe his ears. After centuries being forced to serve that angel, was he finally free?

"I'll contact you when I need you." She told him, stepping away from the window and heading to the slightly open doors. "I don't need you now. Go!"

Picodevimon flew away from the castle, without looking back. He was free at last! It was a shame that he didn't get his revenge but it didn't matter anymore. All that was important was that he was free to fulfill his destiny now. The pure joy that he felt was stronger than everything he had ever experienced. That feeling burst within him and he evolved two levels in a row.

He was already Vamdemon when he returned to the place where he had lived before. The ruins of the village didn't show any sign of life. Even the forest around it had died, seemingly consumed by a huge fire.

The tower had been overtaken by ivy and had part of its roof destroyed. Vamdemon flew to the window and was shocked to find almost nothing left in the chamber. Thieves must have had taken all the valuable things away. All that was left was the old armchair next to the sea window, rotting down. His hopes of finding the red-covered book were almost completely crushed when he noticed a flash of red behind the armchair. Vamdemon quickly moved the furniture and found the book opened on the page of his prophecy. But that wasn't everything.

A Picodevimon was reading it.

"What are you doing with my book?!" Vamdemon roared, kicking the smaller monster away from the _Prophecy Recompilation._

"My apologies, Sir!" Picodevimon cried. "I had no idea someone else lived here! I just arrived a few days ago!"

"I should kill you for your insolence!" Vamdemon said, taking out a whip from his belt.

"Please, don't! I don't want to die!" Picodevimon begged, among sobs. "I just escaped death, please! I'll do anything you want!"

"You escaped death?" The vampire was intrigued.

"My home… my entire continent was destroyed… everybody I knew…" Picodevimon muttered, shedding a couple of tears.

"Cloud Continent?" Vamdemon asked. The other nodded.

"It was Seraphimon, wasn't it?" Picodevimon asked, trembling. "I told them so many times… why did they have to resist the Bloody Lord?"

The ugly crying of the smaller monster got on Vamdemon's nerves. That image evoked memories that he wished to leave behind.

"Pathetic…" The vampire spoke with spite. "Weak…"

"I know I'm like that." Picodevimon said in an apologetic tone. "I was never brave like my friends! I can never be… I don't even have the guts to seek revenge against that angel!"

"Seraphimon is dead." Vamdemon informed. Picodevimon was shocked to hear that.

"Another angel killed him." The vampire added. "I was there when it happened."

"You were there…?" Picodevimon murmured in awe. "Did you… did you help in that tyrant's demise? You must be really strong!"

Vamdemon had never been looked that way before. Was that admiration present in that child level digimon's eyes? To have someone gazing at him that way felt right. That was what Vamdemon had always deserved! He needed more of that!

"I've avenged your friends' deaths." Vamdemon told him. "You are in debt with me now, do you understand?"

"In debt?" Picodevimon sounded confused.

"I will allow you to be my servant in order to pay me back." Vamdemon explained. "A weak and pathetic monster like you, who never did anything worthy with your life, should be honored to serve a digimon fated to greatness like me."

Picodevimon looked at him with apprehension, which Vamdemon disliked. He hit Picodevimon with the whip.

"Do you have any complaints?" The vampire inquired.

"No… absolutely not!" Picodevimon replied, whimpering. "I'll live only for your sake now, Vamdemon-sama!"

Vamdemon smiled widely. That honorific fit him well.

* * *

Vamdemon had brought a tower of his castle along with him to the human world. He placed it in a small island not far from Odaiba and hid it with dense fog. Earlier that day, Monzaemon helped him to develop tools to look for the godly power present in that world. The toy monster was the first to leave the hideout. Then, Picodevimon flew with Agumon hanging from his feet, each carrying a tool. Gabumon expressed his desire to go too, but Vamdemon kept him in the tower. He didn't know that digimon well enough and thought it was too soon to let him do as he pleased.

Instead, the vampire had the child level monster help him in his private chamber by bringing him magic books. Vamdemon was preparing a large scale surveillance incantation to cover more ground than his subordinates could and find the source of the godly power. Once everything was ready, during a snowstorm, he tried to cast it but some sort of external influence blocked it. Only when the snowstorm ceased, the spell was manifested in countless shadow bats that flew into the sky.

Not long after that, Picodevimon and Agumon returned. Vamdemon didn't want to step away from the crystal ball placed on the wooden table in the middle of the chamber, that showed what the shadow bats saw. Therefore, he summoned the two digimon to his chamber to receive their reports. None of them found any clue to the godly power and neither had seen Monzaemon.

Picodevimon hovered above his master's head and took a glance at the crystal ball that showed different parts of the city.

"W-What is that, Vamdemon-sama?" He asked.

"The interface of my surveillance spell." Vamdemon replied, dryly.

"W-What?!" Picodevimon had a fearful expression.

"Is there something wrong?" Agumon asked the bat monster, standing by Vamdemon's right.

"Nothing at all! What could possibly be wrong?!" Picodevimon tried to sound unconcerned.

"You're not being very convincing." Gabumon commented, by Vamdemon' left.

"Quiet, the three of you!" Vamdemon hissed.

The images in the crystal ball continued to change until it showed something that made the vampire stop the switching. Picodevimon nearly fell. Agumon gasped. Gabumon smiled.

"That's… one of the chosen children…" Vamdemon said, astonished at the vision of the little blond boy holding a Patamon in an apartment's balcony. How could that be? All the chosen children should have died along with his army! None of them should have escaped! Did they all survive? Were they all in the human world with their partners?

"A chosen child! That's so unexpected! I have never been this shocked in my life!" Picodevimon spoke in an overtly dramatic way but Vamdemon paid him no attention. The vampire was focused on only one thing: find out how that had happened.

He murmured a spell close to the crystal ball to listen to their conversation.

* * *

The apartment where Yamato lived with his father was very small. The door opened to the kitchen, that had only a sink with a cabinet under it, a small stove, a refrigerator and a counter that served to divide the kitchen from the living room, where the table and its four chairs were. There weren't armchairs or a sofa in there, only the television over a support in front of the table, to the left of the counter. Some magazines and newspapers used to lie around the floor, but they had been removed before Takeru came over in the morning. At the other side of the living room, there was the glass door to the balcony.

"I should call Mama and let her know I'm going to spend a few days here." Takeru said, being the first to enter the apartment. "Where do you keep the phone?"

"It's in Dad's bedroom." Yamato replied, carrying one suitcase in each hand. "I'm going to leave these in my bedroom and bring the phone to you, okay? Do you want me to take your backpack too?"

"No, it's okay." Takeru told him, walking in large steps. "I can take it there by myself."

"Wait, Takeru!" Yamato tried to stop him but Takeru had already taken the corridor connected to the living room and made his way to the boy's bedroom. The big brother almost ran after the smaller child, followed by Patamon, who was puzzled at Yamato's mortified expression.

Yamato's bedroom was small. The bed and the wardrobe were less than ten steps away from each other and each touched a wall. Close to the window, there was a desk with some books over it.

On the bed, Takeru found two things that he recognized: his brother's harmonica and a photo album from their childhood. The little boy was about to pick the book up when Yamato entered the room, quickly put the luggage on the floor and leaned over Takeru to pick the album first.

"Were you looking at our family photos before we went to the camp?" Takeru asked, smiling.

"It's not like…" Yamato murmured, blushing and looking away. Then, he opened the wardrobe and put the album on some of his folded clothes.

"I'd like to see family photos too." Takeru told him. "I don't remember a lot from those times, so I ask Mama to tell me about them. I know lots of stories about your early childhood thanks to that."

"I'm… going to pick the telephone. Stay here." Yamato mumbled, leaving the bedroom without turning to Takeru.

Patamon landed on the bed, next to his partner. The little boy had a sad but resigned expression.

"Please, forgive Onii-chan. He's not rude on purpose; he's just very shy and awkward." Takeru said, picking up the harmonica. "He used to play this all the time. I wonder why he didn't bring it to camp."

That comment made Patamon remember a childhood long lost. The sister he once had loved music so much that she would sing every day. She used to be so happy. He wondered if she still sang.

"Hey, Patamon." Takeru called. "Are Piyomon and the others like siblings to you?"

"Well…" The digimon hesitated. "I guess… in a way…"

It was awkward to think of them as siblings now that he remembered his sister. He and the other four chosen digimon had bonded over a tale in their minds about humans that would come to be their friends. Each one of them tried to guess how their future partner was going to be. Pyokomon wanted Sora to be cheerful and sweet. Pukamon wanted Jyou to be cool. Motimon wanted Koushiro to be a chill person. Tanemon wanted Mimi to be brave and strong, which made absolute sense now considering who that digimon used to be. Tokomon didn't know about his past back then. He only looked at the future, in anticipation for Takeru, having only one wish: for Takeru to be kind.

The boy was kind, indeed. Kinder than the digimon could ever be.

"It must be nice to be able to be with your whole family all the time." The child said. "I bet you guys never had any fight. Adults fight, you know? They fight and then don't want to be together anymore…"

"Yeah…" Patamon murmured. "Adults make stupid mistakes like that…"

His sister had fought him because of the crimes he had committed. Palmon fought him in a previous life to stop his reign of terror. She died by his hands and now she remembered. What would Palmon do with that knowledge? He had asked her not to tell anyone but would she listen to him? She had no reason to do so. If she told the truth to the others… if Takeru heard it… Patamon would lose everything.

"What's wrong?" Takeru asked, suddenly.

"Huh?" Patamon was brought back from his thoughts.

"You seem to be sad. Why?" The boy inquired, worried.

"You just told me something sad. I was being sympathetic." He made up an excuse.

"I'm not stupid, Patamon!"

The serious way Takeru said that sent chills down the digimon's spine. The boy was staring at him with intensity.

"I know that you're hiding something from me. You've been hiding something from me ever since you came back to life." Takeru said. "I can't figure out what it is but I know that it's making you upset."

"You're very perceptive…" Patamon muttered.

"Tell me what it is, please! I want to help you!"

 _Of course you do, that's just how you are._ Patamon lamented in thought. _If only you knew…_

Without warning, Yamato entered the bedroom and gave the cordless phone to his little brother.

"I'm going to prepare something to eat now." The older child said.

"Don't you want to talk to Mama?" Takeru asked. "You barely spoke to her when she brought me over."

"We don't have a lot to talk about…" Yamato murmured, looking down.

"She would like to talk to you more." Takeru told him. "Whenever I return from a visit to you, she always asks me how you were."

Yamato's eyes widened and shone with almost unnoticeable tears. Yet, he didn't say anything else, heading straight to the kitchen.

"I wish he wasn't such a difficult person." Takeru said in low voice, dialing his mother's number. "It's like he works against his own happiness."

"I'm going to talk to him." Patamon said, taking flight.

"It wouldn't hurt to try." Takeru murmured, showing a tiny smile.

In the kitchen, Patamon saw some vegetables on the counter and Yamato placing a pan on the stove. The boy soon noticed the other's presence.

"What is it?" Yamato inquired.

"I was wondering why you don't want to talk to your mother."

"That's none of your business." The other replied, picking a knife from the cabinet under the sink and walking towards the counter, where he began to cut the vegetables.

Patamon landed on the counter and observed Yamato, trying to understand why the child would act that way. He thought about the reasons that had made his bond with his sister get strained.

 _Does he want to be seen as someone strong?_ Patamon wondered. _Does he want to be acknowledged as a capable leader who doesn't need anyone's help? Someone competent enough to protect the entire world…?_

It had all begun with his desire to protect his sister. And that desire had led him to cause her immense pain.

"Thank you." Yamato said, suddenly, startling Patamon.

"W-What?" The digimon asked, confused.

"You protected my brother in that other world, right?" Yamato asked, keeping his eyes on the vegetables. "You even died for him…" He frowned. "I can never thank you enough. You were very courageous."

That compliment sounded like a cruel joke to him. Courageous? He had abused of Fate's power and brought horror to the world while preaching that he was bringing peace. He had tortured and killed more digimon than he could count. He had damned the inhabitants of the Cloud Continent to a corrupted existence of never ending pain. He had killed Palmon in her previous life. Palmon, who had never been anything more than wonderful to him and the other three chosen digimon. She was a kind and responsible leader, something he could never have been.

"I'm not that." Patamon murmured, looking down. "Takeru is the courageous one. He has a fierce sense of justice and is ready to fight for anyone who needs help…"

"Did he…?" Yamato hesitated. "Did he manage things well on his own?"

"Yes, he did." Patamon confirmed. "He was insecure and scared sometimes but he matured a lot. As he is now, I'm sure he could handle anything. You should be very proud of him."

Yamato's face fell but Patamon had no idea why.

"Onii-chan!" Takeru called, getting into the living room and bringing the cordless phone to his brother. "Mama wants to talk to you."

"What? Why?" Yamato asked, nervously. Patamon wondered if he was afraid.

"I've explained that I'm staying here because of the snow and she asked to talk to you." Takeru told the other, offering the phone to Yamato. The older boy hesitated to take it.

"Stop acting like that and just pick the phone already." Takeru sighed, holding his brother's left hand and placing the phone in it. Yamato let go of the knife he was using to cut the vegetables. He held the phone with both hands, as if he was worried about dropping it. His face was pale and sweaty.

"H-Hello…" Yamato muttered, timidly. Then, his eyes widened, seemingly in surprise. "I can't hear you well! There's a weird noise... can you hear me? Hello?"

After half a minute, Yamato put the phone on the counter, saying that the line had gone down. Takeru picked it up and tried to call his mother, with no results.

 _Yamato had already said that the line was down. Didn't Takeru believe him?_ Patamon wondered.

"Maybe you should keep it, in case she calls again." Yamato suggested, looking at his younger brother standing at the other side of the counter.

"She wanted to talk to you! You keep it!" Takeru replied, annoyed.

"What's the matter?" Yamato asked, seriously.

"You must be so pleased now." Takeru murmured angrily.

"Why would I be pleased?" Yamato asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You didn't want to talk to her!" Takeru replied. "You never did! Just like you never want to visit us in Kawada! I'm always the one that has to come over!"

Yamato was visibly shocked at Takeru's outburst. The little boy noticed that and quickly apologized:

"Sorry for yelling at you... I shouldn't have done that."

"Did Mom ever…?" Yamato couldn't ask him that while looking into his eyes. He turned around with the excuse of putting the cut vegetables in the pan on the stove. After he lit the fire, Yamato asked:

"Did she ever complain about me?"

"Of course not." Takeru denied, looking down. "She never said anything but I can tell that she's sad over the situation. Maybe she thinks that you hate her and that's-"

"She thinks that?" Yamato turned to Takeru again, showing a horrified expression. "You're not serious, are you?"

"Hey, calm down! I don't know if she thinks that. I just suspect it." The younger brother explained. "It wouldn't hurt if you told her otherwise, would it?"

Yamato didn't reply. He furrowed his eyebrows and stared at the floor.

"You could tell her that if she calls again or you could call her and tell her that. It's your decision." Takeru told him, walking away from the counter, towards the corridor.

Patamon was about to follow his partner but decided to tell Yamato what he thought:

"You will regret not being honest when you had the chance."

Yamato was left alone with his thoughts. Not even the increasing sound of the wind coming from the outside distracted him from them.

* * *

Palmon had followed Mimi when she went to call Koushiro, hiding behind the wall next to the kitchen's entrance. She could peek at her partner's shaking back, wrapping the cord of the phone around her finger.

 _Mimi seems to be so down._ The digimon thought. _Why is she like that? Fate didn't actually hurt her or her mother. They're both alive and unscratched…_

She gulped as she remembered the countless digimon who had not been so lucky, the digimon she had not been able to protect from the Bloody Lord.

Without her noticing at first, Satoe approached the entrance to the kitchen, seemingly not paying attention to the digimon. After listening to the end of the conversation Mimi was having with Koushiro, the woman stepped inside the kitchen and spoke to her daughter.

"Who were you talking to?" Satoe asked.

"Koushiro-kun… he's a chosen child too… and my friend." Mimi murmured.

"You were asking him to come to check on me… why would you…? Do y-you think I'm still p-possessed?!" Satoe's voice got higher as she began to sob. "It's me, Mimi! I swear on my life it's me! Can't you recognize me anymore? It's me! I'm your mother!"

Palmon saw her partner, who had been standing next to the phone, looking down, suddenly lift her head and turn to Satoe. At that moment, the girl's sorrowful face was visible. Mimi's tearful eyes made Palmon feel as if something was squeezing her heart.

 _It's_ _okay, Mimi. Nothing bad really happened._ Palmon told her in thought, unable, for some reason, to say it aloud. _Everything is okay now, why don't you cheer up?_

"Please, don't cry…" Mimi pleaded, almost inaudibly in comparison to Satoe's loud crying. The mother fell to her knees. The daughter reached out for her but hesitated midway.

"What are we going to do now?" Satoe asked. "H-How can I prove that I really am myself? Tell me what I can do! I want to make you trust me again!"

"I'm sorry, Mama!" Mimi cried out, finally wrapping her arms around her mother. "It's not your fault! None of this was your fault! You shouldn't feel bad about it!"

"You called me _Mama_ …" Satoe muttered.

"That computer program could never cry like you." Mimi stated. "It was a heartless beast that didn't feel like you at all! Mama, you always wear your heart on your sleeve! It's always easy to know what you're feeling! I know you! I've known you my whole life! I should have seen it was you right away! I'm so sorry!"

 _"_ _I've known you my whole life…"_ That sentence made Palmon feel strange. So what if Mimi had known her mother since ever? That was not a guarantee of anything. Someone with whom you had grown up together could still turn out to be completely different from what you believed.

"Don't apologize for any of this! Never!" Satoe forbade her. "Everything you feel is normal, you shouldn't be ashamed! Neither of us should!"

"It hurts, Mama!" Mimi said, among sobs, burying her face on the woman's shoulder. "Everything hurts so badly! Why did any of this have to happen to us?"

"Bad things don't happen for a reason." Satoe told her. "There's no point in questioning why it happened. We can only deal with how it affects us."

Watching those two hugging and crying made Palmon feel her eyes get wet. But why? They were reacting over a thing that couldn't even be qualified as a tragedy. Nobody had been physically injured. Nobody had died. Nobody was grieving their fallen ones. There were no destroyed villages; there was no blood tainted field; the cries of children who had suddenly found themselves alone in the world weren't being carried by the wind.

What had happened? A deity had admitted to having manipulated digimon to start wars and had possessed Mimi's mother to talk to the girl. That was all of it. Had Mimi not been through worse and recovered? Why was this affecting her partner so much?

Palmon stepped back a little and felt her tail touching a pair of long legs. She turned around and saw Mimi's father standing behind her, with his eyes locked at the other two humans, crying as well. Maybe he had not even noticed that Palmon was there. The digimon stepped to the side right before the man ran into the kitchen and kneeled beside the girl and the woman.

Palmon could not stand to watch them any longer. She went to her partner's bedroom and sat on the floor, next to the girl's bed, hugging her knees. Mimi was suffering over nothing at all. She should know that! If she was like that now, how would she react when the truth behind Patamon was revealed? What would she choose to do?

What should Palmon do?

 _I'm supposed to fight him. I had vowed to save the world from him. I know who I am! I know who he is! I know what the Bloody Lord has done! I can't afford to let my determination waver!_

The digimon had not seen when the snowstorm had begun. She stayed still, consumed by her thoughts, until the howling sound of the wind suddenly ended. Palmon went to the window and peeked outside, finding that there was not even one snowflake falling from the sky anymore. The clouds were still dark but no longer completely covering the sky. Now it was possible to partially see the sunset.

Palmon left the bedroom and went to look for Mimi, finding her in the kitchen, standing with the phone in one hand, not saying a thing. Keisuke was cutting vegetables at the table while Satoe was frying something at the stove.

"Mimi…?" Palmon called, getting close to her partner.

"Koushiro-kun vanished into the snowstorm before I could do anything!" The girl spoke with shame. "I'm trying to call his place!"

"I'm sure your friend is alright, sweetie." Keisuke tried to sooth her.

"He headed straight to Fate's trap and I couldn't stop him! I was the one who called him over and exposed him to danger!" Mimi had begun to cry. "If something happened to him or his family, I don't know what I…"

"Whatever happened, Koushiro is going to be fine!" Palmon stated. "Didn't Fate say it was rooting for the chosen children? It's not going to hurt any of you!"

Disbelief overtook Mimi's face as she stared at Palmon with wide open eyes.

"How dare you say such a thing?!" Satoe yelled, stepping away from the stove still holding the frying pan. She stared down at Palmon, furious. "Don't you understand what Mimi is going through?!"

"Don't you remember what Fate did to Koushiro-kun before?" Mimi asked her partner, in low voice, placing the phone back to its place. "And to Jyou-san and us?"

"The Spirit of the World could've killed you all before but didn't do it." Palmon pointed out. "That thing is mischievous and manipulates others but it isn't a threat for us at this moment. It might be playing with Koushiro right now but I don't see any reason for Fate to want to cause real harm to him. We can't afford to waste time worrying about something that is not our enemy yet."

"Fate is the only enemy everybody has ever had! That thing is the cause of everything that has ever gone wrong in the Digital World!" Mimi protested. "It's not just because of what it did to us! Think about the Digital World! Think about all the conflicts that happened because of-"

"I don't have to think about it! I lived through some of those conflicts!" Palmon interrupted. "I've fought the worst digimon who ever lived and let me tell you one thing! Fate might have helped him and given him power but it sure as hell wasn't controlling him! Seraphimon did everything out of his own will! Every war that happened in that world wasn't caused solely by Fate's machinations! They were the result of the choices the digimon took! They were caused by digimon resisting oppression! To think otherwise is an insult to everybody who has ever taken on weapons to defend what they cared for!"

Mimi and Palmon stared at each other without saying another word. Keisuke and Satoe also remained silent. The digimon noticed that the girl's once angry expression had been replaced by one of sadness. Palmon knew that she was in the right but it hurt her to see her friend like that.

"I'm going to keep calling to Koushiro-kun's place." Mimi muttered, picking up the phone and dialing the number.

"Do as you wish." Palmon murmured, leaving the kitchen.

* * *

Gomamon had been startled when his partner woke up from his nap due to Koushiro's father entering the Kido family's apartment while calling for a doctor. But he wasn't surprised when Jyou quickly put a grey robe over his blue pajamas and demanded to see Koushiro. There had never been a chance that the boy would do anything else.

Now, Jyou was in the kitchen of the Izumis' apartment with Koushiro's cordless phone, talking to Mimi. The sound of the violin could be heard in the entire place. Gomamon had left the company of his partner's brothers, who were talking in the living room, to listen to what Jyou was saying to the other child. The boy had one of his hands on the kitchen's counter, sustaining his weight on it.

"Koushiro-kun is okay now, don't worry! He's going to be fine!" The boy spoke with forced cheerfulness. "Yes, it was Fate. I didn't have the chance to speak to Koushiro-kun properly yet but we're all sure it was that thing. How did you know it was Fate, anyway?"

Gomamon went to the boy's side and saw how his face got paler as he heard whatever Mimi was telling him. Jyou's knees began to tremble and the digimon was afraid that the child could collapse at any moment.

"Tell me your address!" Jyou spoke in a very serious voice, several minutes later. "Mimi-kun, I need to see you! Don't tell me you're fine! There's no way you're fine!"

 _What happened to Mimi?_ Gomamon wondered, noticing the tears appearing in Jyou's eyes. _Does he want to go out again? Why? Why can't he just stay here for now? He's going to see her tomorrow anyway!_

"I understand…" Jyou seemed to be less agitated. "I am worried about Koushiro-kun too but you're… Mimi-kun, I know that you need… I can go to your place! Why won't you let me?! I know that we're going to talk tomorrow but I won't rest well knowing that you're in such a state!"

"Jyou!" Gomamon called his friend. Jyou looked at him, seemingly surprised to find him close to his feet. A guilty expression passed through the boy's face and he looked away.

"Let's meet a little earlier tomorrow, then. Is half an hour before the meeting good for you?" Jyou asked. "I really want to talk to you. Okay, then. See you tomorrow."

Jyou hung up and looked at Gomamon again, with sorrowful eyes.

"I'm sorry for making you upset earlier." He said.

"That was an idiotic plan that wouldn't help anyone!" Gomamon let him know.

"Maybe…" Jyou murmured. "But I had to do something!"

"Sometimes, there's nothing you can do!" Gomamon stated. "Sometimes, things are just out of your power and you have to accept that! There's nothing shameful in it!"

The digimon's eyes were getting filled with tears and he glanced down. He wiped some of the tears with one of his hands, but it wasn't enough to stop the crying. Gomamon had been through so much stress that he couldn't hold it together anymore.

Jyou had begun as a story in his head. Gomamon had spent years dreaming about the boy and the adventures they would have together. He had dreamed about valiantly rescuing Jyou from any and all danger and saving the world with him, despite not really knowing what the world had to be saved from. The story in his head was vague but it was a happy one.

Reality, however, was not happy at all. Jyou was the one chasing after the danger and Gomamon had no clue in how to rescue his partner from his own recklessness.

"You scare me to death, Jyou!" Gomamon confessed. "You're going to get yourself killed one of these days, trying to do what you think is the right thing. And maybe a better partner would admire you for that and support your ideals but I can't!" A couple of tears rolled down his eyes as he said that. "I can't bring myself to find your willingness to sacrifice yourself a good thing! I'm not a noble hero that puts everybody else's needs before my own! I'm a selfish guy! I… I just want my dumb friend to be okay! Maybe that doesn't make me cut to be the partner of a chosen child but I can't help it!"

Jyou picked Gomamon up and embraced him.

"It's frustrating to want to help someone and not being able to. I can't think in anything worse than that." Jyou said to him in low voice. "I get so wrapped up in my own feelings that I forget…" He gulped. "I'm sorry for making you feel like this."

 _Does this mean that he's going to be more careful now?_ Gomamon wondered. A part of him wanted to ask that out loud, but he was afraid of the answer. To be hugged by his partner like that felt reassuring and he didn't want to let the feeling go.

"That's right! You'd better be sorry, Jyou!" Shin said, suddenly, entering the kitchen accompanied by Shuu.

"Were you listening to our conversation?" The youngest brother asked, annoyed.

"We didn't mean to do that!" Shuu hurried to say. "But then we couldn't stop! Sorry!"

Shuu glanced at his older brother, who was standing next to him, in front of Jyou and Gomamon, still bearing a severe expression.

"Shin-niisan, aren't you going to apologize?" Shuu asked.

"The only one here that needs to apologize is Jyou." Shin stated.

 _Why does that guy have to be such a pain?_ Gomamon wondered, irritated. Jyou, on the other hand, apologized:

"I didn't consider how my behavior affected you. I won't act like that again. I'm sorry!"

Shin's expression softened as he looked at Jyou's serious face. The boy meant what he said and that had to have value.

"We should go home." Shin suggested. "The Izumis have been talking for a long time now; Koushiro-kun must be fine."

Only in that moment Gomamon noticed that the violin had stopped. He wondered if the instrument had any special meaning to that family.

"I'd like to wait a bit more." Jyou said. "I'm worried about Koushiro-kun."

"But if he's out of danger-" Shin began to say.

"It's not just his physical health that worries me! Koushiro-kun is my friend!" Jyou protested, blushing at his own statement. "I told him that I wanted to be his friend and that I wanted to help him! Right now, I feel that he needs my help!"

Shin and Shuu observed the child with surprise. That might have been the first time he had talked about having friends.

"Ok, then." Shin conceded.

"I can bring you some stuff in case you decide to spend the night here." Shuu offered.

"Thank you!" Jyou said, smiling at both of them.

* * *

After the song was over, Koushiro told his parents and Motimon everything that had happened to him. The three of them were sitting on the bed, close to the boy, Yoshie by his right and Masami and the digimon at his left.

"Another Koushiro-han…" Motimon whispered. "Fate is another Koushiro-han who died…"

There was a Koushiro from a different universe that was tricked by Wisemon and had his mind uploaded to a computer program. A Koushiro that suffered endless agony for billions of years and that took his anger out in other versions of himself. That Koushiro tried to kill his partner. But he was his partner as well.

What was Motimon supposed to do? He wanted to protect Koushiro. He didn't want to let him be in pain. But if things came down to it, would he be able to destroy Fate to save the Koushiro he knew?

"Isn't there anything we can do for him?" Yoshie asked, taking her right hand from the violin on her lap to touch her son's trembling wrapped fingers.

"That other you…" Masami said in an almost inaudible voice. "Isn't there a way to take him out of… there?"

"I don't know…" Koushiro mumbled, looking down. "I would like to find a way to help him."

Motimon looked up to his partner, surprised.

"You… want to help yourself, Koushiro-han?"

"Well… yeah." Koushiro replied, looking at his partner. "He's hurt and confused. It's not his fault that he became like that. I'd like to bring him some peace if possible… I think I can understand him…"

Motimon felt a familiar wave of energy coming from his core as white light enveloped his body.

 _Koushiro-han is willing to be kind to himself… to forgive himself… he has finally learned…_

"Tentomon!" The boy exclaimed, smiling at his partner who had just evolved.

"H-He changed!" Masami almost screamed.

"He evolved." Koushiro corrected. "He can become even bigger than that."

"It's nice to meet you." Yoshie greeted the insect monster.

"I'm still the same one in the inside." Tentomon said, giggling.

Yoshie grinned at Tentomon, soon noticing that Koushiro was paying close attention to her face.

"He looked a lot like you… your son…" The boy murmured. "My brother…"

Both adults stayed silent, looking at the child seriously. Koushiro had talked about simulation Makoto briefly and they did not dare to interrupt his narration. But now, their son was willing to talk to them about their other child. They couldn't bring themselves to stop him.

"He was very brave and kind." Koushiro spoke with a mix of sadness and fondness. "He was determined and emotive… he loved his brother a lot. I think I… I mean, the other me… loved him a lot too."

Masami and Yoshie rubbed their eyes but their tears could not be contained. Nor could Koushiro's.

"Could you tell me more about my other parents?" The child asked. "I'd like to know more about them."

His parents exchanged looks and asked, at the same time, if the child was sure.

Koushiro nodded.

* * *

Sora wasn't able to make another phone call for the rest of the afternoon. After many attempts, her mother told her to wait until the snowstorm was over and the girl agreed. She left her notepad on the phone's table, put the strange amulet that Picodevimon had in her pocket and went to the living room, where her father was asking Piyomon various questions while her mother was finishing the flower arrangement she had been working on earlier. They were all sitting on pillows on the floor.

"There's something I don't quite understand, Piyomon." Haruhiko said, after a very long interview. "How did you and the others know that Sora and the other children were coming? How did you know their names and who was who?"

"It was a story in our heads." Piyomon replied, amused at the man's puzzled expression. "Ever since we were born, we knew they were coming and waited for them eagerly. I didn't know what Sora looked like or how her personality was going to be but when I saw her for the first time, I knew it was her."

"That had to be Kanda-san's doing." Sora commented. "He wanted us to have better relationships with our partners…"

"It was wrong of that man to take children to such a dangerous place!" Toshiko said, with controlled anger. "If I were to meet him, I don't even know what I'd do."

"He's dead now. There's nothing to do." Sora muttered, earning concerned looks from everybody else.

"It must've been tough for you." Haruhiko murmured.

"It was worse for the others, I think." Sora said. "They saw the original children as their sempai. My relationship with Kanda-san was more complicated than that. I felt bad for him but I'm not entirely sure if his death made me sad… I mean, at least he's not suffering anymore…"

"Feelings are complicated things." Toshiko told Sora. "They need time to be understood. Be patient with yourself."

"I will. Thank you, Mom." Sora smiled largely at the woman, who smiled back.

 _Sora seems to be better now._ Piyomon thought, gladly. _She's finally at peace._

"The snowstorm has stopped!" Sora interjected when she could no longer listen to the sound of the wind. Then, she got up and headed to the phone. Piyomon followed her.

"Who are you going to call first?" The bird digimon asked.

"Mimi-chan." Sora replied, looking for the number written on the notepad she had left on the phone's table. Once she found it, she quickly dialed. It took almost one minute for the other girl to pick up.

"Hello?" Mimi spoke.

"Hello, Mimi-chan. It's Sora. I'm calling to let you know about a reunion-"

"Yes, Koushiro-kun told me everything about that already." Mimi interrupted. Something in her tone made Sora uneasy.

"Oh? Koushiro-kun has talked to you already? That's good." Sora said. "Is everything okay with you? You sound kind of down…"

"I've talked too much about what happened today…" Mimi was evasive. "Is it alright if I tell you about it tomorrow?"

"Does it have anything to do with digimon in our world?" Sora tried to guess.

Mimi stayed silent for a while, probably thinking about what to say. Then, she replied:

"The Spirit of the World talked to me."

"THE SPIRIT OF THE WORLD?!" Sora shouted, in shock. "That thing?! What…?! How…?!"

"Please, don't freak out over this! I can't go over this again!" Mimi pleaded, in a crying tone.

"Are you okay, Mimi-chan? Did that thing hurt you? If you give me your address, I can go to your place and-"

"I don't want anyone coming to my place again!" Mimi protested. "I don't want to talk about it now! I'm so sick of crying, why can't I just rest a little?!"

"I'm sorry, Mimi-chan…" Sora muttered, feeling guilty as she listened to the younger girl's sobs.

"It's not your fault. It's nobody's fault." Mimi tried to sound reassuring. "It's really stressful to talk about it through the phone… I've already made Jyou-san and Koushiro-kun worried about me… I feel so bad!"

"Hey, it's okay." Sora told her, in a tranquil voice. "Feelings are complicated things."

"They sure are." Mimi agreed. "Is it okay if I hang up now? I want to go to sleep. I promise I'll tell everything tomorrow."

"Of course it's okay. Sleep well." Sora told her.

After Mimi hung up, Piyomon asked what had happened and her partner explained to her.

"Now it's Fate and Picodevimon!" The digimon was concerned. "Could that thing be his master?"

"I don't know." Sora said, worried as well. "We'll have a lot to discuss tomorrow… now I should let Takeru-kun know."

She dialed his Odaiba number and waited almost two minutes until someone picked up. Then, she heard Yamato's voice.

"Hi…" He said, timidly. "There's something that… Takeru told me something and I…"

 _Why is he hesitating so much? Is there something wrong?_ Sora wondered. _Hold on, does he know it's me?_

"Erh-" The girl began to say but was interrupted.

"Please, just let me say it!" Yamato now had urgency in his voice. "I thought you knew… I never considered that you could not know… that's my fault, I suppose… I'm sorry for not talking too much… and for not seeing you a lot…"

 _Who does he think he's talking to?_ Sora asked herself. _Yamato-kun sounds so sad… so vulnerable… is there something I can do to help him? Wait! What am I thinking? I'm not supposed to listen to what he's saying! He doesn't know he's talking to me! I need to tell him!_

But when the girl was about to let him know, he said something that left her without reaction:

"I'm sorry, Mom… I still think… I…" Yamato spoke in a pained voice. "I… Mom, I…" his breathing became heavier, "I… I'm so sorry! I'm sorry! I'm not... I wanted to but I'm not..."

 _Is he apologizing to his mother? Does he have issues with his mother as well?_ Sora wondered. _I could help him sort his feelings out… no, wait! I need to let him know that he's talking to me and not to her!_

"Yamato-kun! This is Takenouchi Sora!" The girl almost shouted. "I called to let Takeru-kun know about a meeting tomorrow! I'm so sorry for not telling you sooner that it was me! I know that you didn't say any of those words for me! I'm really sorry for violating your privacy like that! I can never apologize enough!"

Piyomon touched her partner's left hand and asked, in a whisper, why she was getting so worked up. Sora didn't respond because she was busy saying how sorry she was in every way she found possible.

"Wait! You said meeting?" Yamato managed to ask after a few minutes of Sora profusely apologizing. "Why are you having a meeting? Is there something wrong?"

"Well…" Sora hesitated. She could tell that Takeru's brother was getting anxious and pondered if it would be a good idea to let him know what was happening.

"There is something wrong, isn't there?!" Yamato was raising his voice. "Is it something dangerous? Is Takeru in danger?!"

"It's too soon to know!" Sora said. "I mean, I saw a digimon and Mimi-chan talked to Fate and-"

"What's Fate?! What is that supposed to mean? Hold on! You said digimon? Are there digimon here?! Did they come after you? Are they coming after Takeru?!" Yamato was shouting at this moment.

 _He's in full panic mode now!_ Sora thought, feeling bad for Yamato. _What should I do? How do I help him?_

Then, she heard Yamato talking to someone else, away from the phone. After that, Takeru spoke to her.

"Sora-san? It's me, Takeru." He said.

"Your brother! I'm so sorry! I should've had more tact!" Sora was nearly shouting. "I made him freak out!"

"Don't worry about it. Onii-chan is a bit dramatic sometimes." Takeru giggled.

Sora could hear Yamato shouting at the distance that he was not dramatic, to which Takeru replied that he could hear him yelling at Sora from their bedroom. The girl got very anxious, thinking that she had caused a fight between the siblings.

"Anyway!" Takeru spoke to her again. "What happened?"

Sora told him everything.

* * *

Yamato, Takeru and Patamon had together the vegetable soup the older brother had prepared. Patamon was over the table and the boys were sitting across from each other.

"This is delicious!" Patamon said, trying to break the awkward silence between the siblings.

"Thanks…" Yamato murmured, not taking his eyes from his plate.

"So… the snowstorm stopped. That's nice!" Patamon tried again.

"Yeah…" Yamato mumbled.

Before that day, Takeru had never showed anger towards his brother. Now it was as if he could see all of Yamato's shortcomings. The older sibling shouldn't be surprised. Takeru had grown considerably while he was in that other world. Besides, he had been with people a lot more admirable and reliable than Yamato, like that girl Sora, who was worried about hurting his feelings despite Yamato being the one to create the awkward situation. And that after he had been rude to her earlier that day! Then, he shouted at her, again, without wanting to, as if he couldn't control himself. What kind of opinion did Sora have of him? Worse than that, what did Takeru think of him? Takeru hadn't said a word ever since hanging up the phone.

 _I'm a farce… Takeru knows that already… he's never going to believe again that I'm a responsible big brother that can take care of him… like Mom had asked me…_

In the morning of that day, while Hiroaki was chatting with Takeru, Natsuko approached the older boy and asked him to watch over the smaller one, adding awkwardly that she had already told Takeru not to cause trouble to Yamato. After hearing that, Yamato thought that his mother sounded like someone who was asking a stranger for a favor, as if she didn't remember that he was her son as well and Takeru's brother. The other thing that he noticed was that Natsuko didn't have too much faith in him to take care of things, which led her to tell Takeru to behave well.

What had made her distrust Yamato like that? Since the divorce, he had put extra effort in showing that he was alright and that she didn't have to worry about him living alone with his father. She should only worry about Takeru. Yamato could take care of himself, he wouldn't be miserable away from his mother. He couldn't allow her to worry about him. He couldn't let her think that he needed her. But did his effort lead her to understand something she was not supposed to?

"You could come to the reunion tomorrow and apologize to Sora-san in person." Takeru finally spoke, looking at his brother.

"Is that really okay?" Yamato asked.

"You got nervous and lost your temper, I get it." Takeru told him. "As long as you make amends, it's not the end of the world."

 _He's so wise now…_ Yamato thought. _I stress over things that he doesn't care so much about. What must he think of me now?_

The phone rang. Takeru was about to get it but Yamato asked to do it instead.

"It could be Mom." The big brother said, not noticing Takeru's smile at his phrase.

However, Ishida Hiroaki was the one calling. Natsuko had called her ex-husband to talk about Takeru staying over, which surprised Hiroaki greatly. Now the man wanted to know why Yamato hadn't called to inform him of any of that, or even about the camp being cancelled.

"I'll be right back." Yamato told Takeru, going to his bedroom with the cordless phone. The little boy smirked.

"You don't seem to be angry at him anymore." Patamon commented.

"I wasn't angry at Onii-chan, just frustrated." Takeru said back, taking a spoon full of soup to his mouth. "But now I have worse things to worry about."

"What did Sora tell you?" Patamon asked. "Why does she want a reunion?"

"She saw that Picodevimon from Aurora Town. He was looking for something in the snow and mentioned a master." Takeru explained. "But that's not the worst thing."

"What else did she say?" Patamon had a concerned expression.

"I don't know the details…" Takeru said in low voice. "She told me that Mimi-san spoke to Fate. That thing is in the human world."

Patamon's eyes widened in horror and he took flight, as if trying to escape.

"No!" The digimon had a pleading tone. "Why is that thing here? Why doesn't it leave me alone?!"

 _"_ _Welcome back!"_ That voice had told him that in Kanda's base. The same voice that had offered him power. The one that allowed everything, that had made him…

But he was never made to do anything. It'd be so much easier to believe in that but he knew it was not true. Since the beginning, he was the one making the decisions. But that voice told him that he was right… that he was the chosen one… that he would bring peace to the world! All the things he wanted to hear, especially during the nights where the faces of his victims appeared before him.

Seraphimon had died. Patamon was someone else now! He had a new life and could make new decisions! But that thing came to him in that tunnel. And he accepted that power again. So easily… as if nothing had changed! He lost himself so quickly and so completely, if it wasn't for Takeru's cry, would he have fallen under that influence again? Could that be his true nature, after all?

What would Takeru think? Righteous Takeru, who believed in justice… Takeru who once told him there was no way he could be evil… what would he think if he knew? Last time, the boy was convinced that he had been possessed by Fate. He couldn't bear to think that his partner was the one performing those horrendous slaughters! Takeru believed in him… Takeru believed in his good heart… but if Takeru found out…? That thought was unbearably painful!

Patamon was in the human world now! He was far from all that! He was supposed to be free from Fate's influence! Free from his bloody past! But he was not. Fate was there. For what reason? For what other reason? To remind him of who he was, to seduce him with power, to lead him down that path again! He didn't want that but it had already happened twice! What if it happened once more? What if he became that monster again? And Takeru would see him…

Patamon stumbled on the roof and almost fell. Agitated, he made his way to the balcony's door and opened it. He wanted to escape, not knowing where to go. He just wanted to get away from everything. Away from Fate and from the ghosts of his past. The ghosts that had only begun to come after him…

The digimon would have flown away if Takeru hadn't grabbed him from behind just in time.

"Patamon, what's wrong?!" Takeru asked, struggling to keep his partner in his arms.

The digimon couldn't articulate any answer. What could he say to him? Lie? But in all that time he wasn't able to truly lie to Takeru. He said part of the truth and hid the painful details, but he had never lied. Should he do that now? For how long could he sustain that deception? Fate was in that world. To tell anything but the truth would only postpone the inevitable.

"Don't be scared!" Takeru tried to sooth him. "I won't let that thing possess you again, I swear!"

"Stop!" Patamon pleaded. "Don't talk to me like that! I don't deserve your concern!"

"What are you talking about?! Of course you do!" Takeru protested, forcing Patamon to face him. "You're my best friend! I will always be concerned about you! I'll never stop caring for you!"

Patamon first tried to look away, focusing on a shadowy spot in a corner of the balcony. But he couldn't keep his eyes from his partner's preoccupied face. Takeru cared too much for him.

"You're better than I've ever imagined you could be." Patamon said, feeling tears accumulating in his eyes. "My kind partner…"

"Tell me what's wrong." Takeru pleaded. "We are friends, aren't we?"

"In this life, you've always been everything that mattered to me." Patamon told him. "I wish it could've stayed like that forever… but then I remembered…"

"Remembered what?" Takeru asked apprehensively.

"A long time ago, in a past life, I did many bad things." Patamon confessed. "I remembered everything after being reborn… now I can't forget it… and Fate won't let me forget it…"

"I don't understand… what bad things? What does Fate have to do with this?"

Patamon looked at the boy's face with attention, as if trying to memorize it. That child could not let the digimon get close to him again after knowing the truth. But Takeru had the right to know. And he had the right to stay away from him.

"Do you remember that story Elecmon told us in the Village of the Beginnings?" Patamon asked. "Two eggs had hatched at the same time. The digimon who had been born were so close that they thought of each other as siblings. One of them was a Patamon and he heard the Call of Fate. He wanted to bring peace to everybody but he became ruthless… he came to be called 'Bloody Lord' and his sister was forced to kill him."

"W-Why are you bringing Seraphimon up?" Takeru had a nervous tone. He was afraid of where that conversation was going.

Patamon confirmed his fears:

"A long time ago, I was the Seraphimon that spread terror through the Digital World."


	33. Extreme

**Chapter 33: Extreme**

"Bloody Lord!" Vamdemon murmured in disbelief, stepping away from the crystal ball, trembling.

"He's with the chosen children? Now that's scary!" Agumon exclaimed.

"The Tyrant is Takeru's partner?" Gabumon was shocked. "B-But he seemed like such a kind digimon… he saved us…"

"What did you say?!" Vamdemon inquired, glaring at Gabumon. "You're associated with the chosen children? With _him_?!"

The vampire was about to take out his whip and punish the other when Picodevimon intervened:

"Wait, Master! If you kill him in the human world, Gabumon will never come back!"

"Why would that be a bad thing?!" Vamdemon asked the little bat floating by his side. Picodevimon gulped, shaking.

"Y-You only have the three of us now." Picodevimon told him. "If y-you just imprison Gabumon, you'll give him time to think. It'll be a show of mercy that will earn his l-loyalty. With the chosen children in this world, you c-can't afford to lose followers, s-sir."

Vamdemon studied the pathetic trembling bat monster; that sight delighted him. The tiny bat was terrified of him, like he should be. However, if Picodevimon was so scared, why would he try to help Gabumon? Was it because he was worried that their odds would be worse without him? But that meant that he didn't trust his Master's power! On the other hand, Picodevimon had failed to murder the chosen children twice before. He had also searched for the godly power over the city for hours, allegedly not finding anything worthy of mention.

The suspicion that Picodevimon could be a traitor crossed Vamdemon's mind, but he quickly dismissed it. His servant was too much of a coward to betray him and align with the chosen children. Nevertheless, it wouldn't hurt to remind the little bat of his power.

"Agumon, take Gabumon to the dungeon for now." He ordered, not noticing Gabumon's sigh of relief. Then, Vamdemon turned to Picodevimon and said:

"You'll come with me."

"W-Where?" Picodevimon asked.

"To defeat the Bloody Lord and the chosen children, obviously."

* * *

During Patamon's explanation of his past, Takeru wasn't able to utter even one word. He kept hoping that his partner would eventually say that everything was just a joke and that there was no way he could possibly have been a tyrant that murdered millions. However, the digimon's expression made it clear everything was true.

And then, his partner's behavior since his rebirth made an awful lot of sense. Everything clicked together too perfectly. The broodiness, the guilty faces, the vague words… Patamon had remembered his past and couldn't cope with that knowledge. How could he, though? How would anyone feel after suddenly remembering a past life like that?

Takeru shivered. He didn't know how to reconcile who his partner used to be with who he was now. The Patamon he had gotten to know on File Island was childish and a bit of a cry-baby, but brave and kind. He had sacrificed himself to save them from Devimon! But he had also murdered Palmon in her previous life and destroyed an entire continent. How could they be the same digimon?

"Fate made you do that…" Takeru whispered.

"Everything I did was by my choice." Patamon affirmed, hovering in front of the boy. Takeru had the impression that he had been hugging the digimon before. When did he let go?

"Even if that thing didn't possess you, it manipulated you! You were tricked!"

"That doesn't make me less responsible for what I did!" Patamon shouted, letting a couple of tears fall from his eyes. "I killed more innocents than I can count! I spread terror on the world, believing I was fighting for peace! And, because of my crimes, my own generals turned against me and my sister was forced to-"

"Don't take the blame away from the Queen! She killed you! Her own sibling!"

"TO SAVE THE WORLD FROM ME!" Patamon cried. "You weren't there! You didn't see how it went down! You didn't see her…"

The sobbing stopped the digimon from continuing the narrative. After a couple of minutes, he spoke again:

"Ofanimon was good… and I hurt her immensely. I'll never forgive myself for that."

"So that's her name…" Takeru commented.

"You remember Aurora Town, right? How well regarded she was? Meanwhile, my statue got what it deserved… and countless Tokomon and Patamon died because other digimon were afraid they could be me… I didn't deserve to be spared of that destiny. I didn't deserve to become your partner, Takeru. Something horrible like me doesn't deserve anything good!"

Patamon cried more profusely and his small body was shaking. Takeru felt that he should hold him but could not move his arms. His partner was being devoured by guilt. He was kind and sweet, Takeru knew that. But if Patamon really did those things, should he be forgiven so easily?

Wasn't Takeru the most adamant about punishing evil digimon not long ago? Most of it was fueled by his pain over his partner's loss, that was true, but didn't the boy truly believe that was the just thing to do? Seeing Etemon saving Mimi and realizing the shady things Kanda had done disrupted his ideal of easily identifying which side was good and which was bad. However, what Seraphimon had done was irrevocably bad. There was no justification for his actions. If Takeru overlooked that, wouldn't he be a hypocrite?

Patamon was his friend, the dearest friend he ever had. Takeru loved him. To cast him aside now, when his partner needed him the most, would be a betrayal of that love. To walk away from Patamon, just because things became difficult, would be a betrayal of himself.

However, it was the digimon who turned his back to the boy, intending to fly away. It was so similar to how his father had walked out of his life. The man grabbed Yamato by the hand and walked away with him, without looking back.

 _"_ _Mom and Dad won't live together anymore. Yamato wants to go with him."_

 _"_ _It's not like we'll never see each other again. We'll just… meet less often."_

Several memories of his childhood flashed before Takeru's eyes. The house that had suddenly become too big and too quiet, his mother's sadness despite saying that everything was okay with her, Yamato's pained expression, his father's distance. His family fell apart and half of it left him, without ever coming back, with Takeru being the only one reaching out to them. And, in that moment, Patamon was about to do the same thing.

"We should part ways, Takeru." Patamon muttered. "It's better like this."

"NO!" Takeru shouted, startling the digimon. Patamon turned around and saw the boy's enraged stare.

"Ta-Takeru?"

"YOU'RE NOT GOING TO LEAVE ME! NOT YOU!" Takeru stated as his eyes got filled with tears, feeling as if his heart was being ripped from the inside out. "We can overcome this! We can figure this out together!"

"I'm doing this for your good, Takeru!"

"LIAR! YOU'RE GOING AWAY BECAUSE IT'S EASIER TO DO THAT THAN IT IS TO FACE YOUR PROBLEMS!"

"So what if it's easier?!" Patamon contested. "You don't understand how painful letting you know about this is to me! You don't know how agonizing it is for me to think about how you're feeling-"

"I'M GOING TO FEEL WAY WORSE IF YOU ABANDON ME!"

"DON'T TREAT IT LIKE THAT, TAKERU!"

"BUT THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE DOING! JUST LIKE MY DAD DID! AND ONII-CHAN-"

The door of the balcony was suddenly opened. Yamato stood there, staring at Takeru with wide open eyes.

"I heard shouting…" Yamato said in a concerned voice. "What's going on here?"

"How long have you been eavesdropping?" Takeru asked, wiping away his tears with the back of his left hand.

"You were talking about Patamon abandoning you like…" Yamato hesitated. Then, he slowly approached his brother. "I never… Dad just… you don't know how hard it is for him…"

"This isn't about you or Dad!" Takeru shouted, glaring at his brother. "I have other things to worry about!"

"What are those things?!" Yamato asked. "I'm trying to understand! I'm trying to help!"

"BUT YOU CAN'T!"

Takeru regretted saying that as soon as he saw the hurt expression on his brother's face. However, the sound of something violently hitting the street caught their attention. The siblings ran to the edge of the balcony and looked down. Patamon was lying in a small crater about his size. When the brothers looked up, they saw a carriage floating in the night sky and a vampire hovering in front of it, holding a whip in each hand and looking at Patamon with contempt.

"Do you remember me, Bloody Lord?" Vamdemon inquired as he dove to land another attack. Patamon screamed when the whip hit him a second time.

"PATAMON!" Takeru cried, running into the apartment in order to get to the front door. Yamato stopped him by force once they entered, holding the kid with both his hands.

"You can't go down there, it's dangerous!" Yamato told him.

"I can't just leave Patamon like that!" Takeru cried, struggling against the hold.

"I'm not saying that you should leave your partner! Just don't go there unprepared!"

The little boy stopped struggling and turned to the older one. Yamato looked at him seriously and said:

"I have a plan."

* * *

"You're… that Picodevimon…?" Patamon asked in a weak voice before Vamdemon delivered another strike.

"So you remember!" The vampire shouted. "You made me your slave! You humiliated me!"

"I also destroyed your village and killed everybody you knew…" Patamon murmured. "I'm so sorry…"

"Do you think apologizing will make me show you mercy?" Vamdemon laughed. "Are you that scared of me already?"

"I don't want mercy, nor am I scared of you." Patamon explained.

"Liar! You're terrified of me! You were once the most powerful digimon alive and now you're a weak rat being threatened by a much stronger monster! What else would you feel but fear?!"

"Just finish this already!" Patamon ordered. "Take your revenge! Punish me! That's just what I deserve!"

The way that small creature looked at him, without a shred of fear or concern for his safety, bothered Vamdemon. He wasn't the Tyrant anymore! That digimon was small! He was weak! Vamdemon had lived most of his life believing that any little creature would cower in fear and beg to be spared when confronted by a perfect level monster. That was only natural. He had to be scared of him!

"I'll make you tell me the truth!" Vamdemon promised, stepping on the other. "It doesn't matter how long it takes!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Patamon cried.

"YES, YOU DO!" The vampire screamed. "I WON'T LET YOU PLAY WITH ME EVER AGAIN!"

Something hit Vamdemon's face and fell on the ground; it was a garlic head, which made his skin itch. He looked at the direction from where it had come and saw a blond human child holding a pan filled with garlic, having another head in hand. A smaller boy was behind him.

"You better go away, I know everything about vampires!" The older boy said.

 _That defenseless human is not taking me seriously as well…_ Vamdemon thought, feeling rage boil deeply in his heart. _Why isn't he afraid of me? Doesn't he know what I'm capable of? I'll show him!_

Vamdemon took two steps in the direction of the kids.

"He's coming at us!" Takeru shouted, alarmed.

"Don't worry." Yamato spoke in an assuring voice. "We're inside the building. Vampires can't enter someone else's place unless they're invited, everybody knows that."

Taken over by homicidal thoughts, Vamdemon prepared his whip, not flinching at the other garlic heads being thrown at him. However, an attack from behind surprised the perfect level monster. He turned around and saw Patamon hovering a few steps from the ground, glaring at him.

"Stay away from my partner and his brother!"

"Just how stupid are you all?!" Vamdemon inquired, looking from the small monster to the children. "I'm a powerful perfect level digimon that led an army! You can't defeat me with food and shots of air! You'll pay for underestimating me!"

"You're the one underestimating us." Takeru said, with a grin. "We took some time before coming down here. Don't you want to know what we were doing? Even if it's about a secret weapon against you?"

"Quiet, Takeru!" Yamato spoke in an anxious voice. "We can't get him if you-"

"GET ME?!" Vamdemon completely lost his patience. "THERE'S NOTHING ANY OF YOU CAN DO AGAINST ME! YOU'RE POWERLESS CHILDREN! I'M DESTINED TO RULE-"

Before he could finish his sentence, meteors of fire hit him from behind. Takeru, Yamato and Patamon looked up, where Birdramon and Sora were descending from the sky.

"Takeru-kun, Yamato-kun, are you alright?" Sora asked, jumping from her partner's foot.

"Fool!" Vamdemon snarled, stumbling towards the fire bird. "You're still an adult level and I'm a perfect level digimon!"

"Is that so?" Sora questioned, picking up her digivice from her belt and holding it. The object turned red and sent fire sparks flying. Orange and red light enveloped Birdramon.

"Birdramon super evolves to… GARUDAMON!"

The giant digimon grabbed Vamdemon with one hand and threw him to the sky, following him right after.

* * *

"Patamon!" Takeru cried, running to where his partner was. Unable to stop him, Yamato followed his brother. Sora got to the small mammal first and carefully took him in her arms. Patamon tried to break free from her grip.

"Thank you for coming… after what I did…" Yamato muttered to Sora. "Thank you for protecting Takeru… also, sorry for how I acted earlier."

"I feel like you're always apologizing to me, Yamato-kun." She chuckled. "There's nothing for me to forgive you for, though. I understand why you reacted like that."

Yamato's cheeks became slightly pink, and he looked away. Sora kept looking at him, smiling.

"You tried to protect me…" Takeru said to his partner, feeling tears coming to his eyes.

Patamon stayed silent for a couple of seconds. Frowning, he told the child:

"You shouldn't have done that."

"I know that the garlic plan was silly, but we had to buy time until Sora-san-" Takeru began.

"Wait, you found my plan silly?" Yamato questioned, with an awkward expression.

"You… didn't?" Takeru asked.

"It's not silly. Our enemy is a vampire, after all." Sora said.

An explosion was heard above them. The fierce battle between Garudamon and Vamdemon continued. The vampire tried to evade her fire attacks and fight back with whips, punches and clouds of bats, but Garudamon resisted and fought back.

"In my other life, I destroyed Vamdemon's village and made him my servant." Patamon said. "I didn't have to do that, but I found him so pathetic begging for his life…"

"What are you talking about, Patamon?" Sora inquired, loosening her grip, which enabled the small digimon to fly from her arms. He didn't escape from there, though. Instead, he looked deeply into his partner's eyes.

"Vamdemon sought revenge against me, it wasn't your place to-"

"You're not seriously telling me that I should've let you die for a second time, are you?!" Takeru shouted, trembling.

"It's said that digimon that die in the human world don't come back." Patamon told him. "If you had let that guy punish me, I would never return to cause harm to the world anymore! I would finally get what I deserve!"

"Takeru-kun, what is he saying? Why is he saying that?" Sora asked nervously.

"You guys were arguing back then…" Yamato remembered. "What was it about? What is this about?"

Takeru hesitated for an instant, but then explained:

"Ever since he came back for the last time, Patamon remembers things from his past… from before he was my partner. In his previous life, he had done bad things…"

Sora and Yamato stared at him in shock, not knowing what to say.

"I tried to conquer the Digital World!" The digimon corrected. "I've taken more lives than you can imagine! I destroyed a continent and everybody in it!"

"But that's not who you are anymore!" Takeru protested. "You're my partner! You fight for me and try to keep me safe! Who you used to be before we met doesn't matter!"

"You can't simply shake off the past like that!" Patamon shouted. "If it was that easy, you should no longer be upset for your family being split apart!"

"Takeru…" Yamato muttered, looking sadly at his brother.

"Don't bring my family into this!" Takeru yelled.

"Your problems are way simpler than mine and you still can't let go of them!" Patamon insisted. "But you expect me to forget my past? Why? Because it makes things easier for you? Because then you wouldn't have to think about how you're partnered with a mass killer?!"

"I didn't want you to go away!" Takeru cried. He didn't know what to think about his partner's past or how he should feel about it. What Takeru knew was that he didn't want to be left alone. Was it wrong of him to desire that?

"You're better off without me…" Patamon murmured.

"Patamon, you're that Seraphimon, right? The one represented in that vandalized statue?" Sora asked. "I understand that you did terrible things, but you can't just run away from your mistakes. Takeru needs you! There are so many dangers-"

"There's nothing more dangerous than me!" Patamon stated, at last flying away, towards the two battling digimon.

* * *

In the carriage, Picodevimon watched in a crystal ball, with apprehension, the battle between his master and Garudamon. To his surprise, the vampire wasn't winning easily. Despite his powerful punches and speed, he was head-to-head with the large bird creature.

 _That's just one of the chosen digimon and he's having a hard time…_ Picodevimon thought. _If others arrived, he could actually… lose…_

For the first time in his long captivity, the idea that someone could defeat his master crossed his mind. Vamdemon put him through torment every day, reminding Picodevimon of how weak and pathetic he was and of what would happen to him if he disappointed his master. He had been raised to believe that Vamdemon's power was overwhelming and nobody would ever be capable of defying him. Maybe that was illogical, considering that the vampire was still a perfect level digimon, but it was real to the little bat, and his master clearly believed in his power.

However, the sight of Vamdemon getting hurt by that bird's fire opened Picodevimon's eyes to his vulnerability. That monster could be defeated; the child level digimon could get away from him. He remembered the two chosen children that had showed him mercy. One of them was the partner of the Garudamon. If Picodevimon asked her help…

The pain from the last time Vamdemon had punished him was still too present. He couldn't escape, he couldn't run from him! Vamdemon would find him and torture him for days! Nobody could help him! All Picodevimon could do was comply with the vampire and wish that he would, someday, be merciful.

"How can you be so strong?" Vamdemon angrily asked Garudamon, as Picodevimon watched in the crystal ball.

"Sora's love gives me power!" Garudamon stated. "As long as the flame in her heart doesn't end, I will not be defeated!"

"Love…?" Vamdemon asked, paling. "That girl's crest… don't tell me…"

As Picodevimon heard that, he remembered the prophecy he had read a long time ago. In that instant, all his fear vanished. A feeling he didn't remember having erupted, coming like a ray of sunshine after the longest night.

That kind girl was the bearer of love. She was the one destined to defeat Vamdemon.

Not waiting for that wonderful feeling to flicker, Picodevimon opened the door of the carriage and sneaked away.

* * *

After talking to his parents, Koushiro called Jyou to his bedroom and told him everything that had happened.

Sitting on the bed beside the younger boy, Jyou was paralyzed by shock and horror. He looked for Gomamon but his partner had left with Tentomon during Koushiro's narration.

"Are you freaking out?" Koushiro asked.

"I think so…" Jyou muttered. "What about you? How come you're not freaking out?"

"I don't know… I'm not sure if I've calmed myself or if I'm just numb…"

"What are we going to do now?" Jyou questioned, nervously. "How can we help…?"

He was about to say "Fate" but stopped himself in time. It didn't feel right to keep calling that being like that. But he couldn't bring himself to use another name.

"I don't know how we can help him." Koushiro said. "Maybe we can't, but I'd like to try. He's very messed up and has been through too much pain…"

"That damn Wisemon!" Jyou pronounced that name with disgust not only directed at the digimon ,but at himself as well for not realizing who the con-man really was. "If I ever see him again… what he did to you, to… _him_ … damn it… damn it!"

Tears busted out of Jyou's eyes and he sobbed loudly. Koushiro put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry! I-I'm s-so sorry!" Jyou barely could speak. "I wanted to say something t-that could make you f-feel better… I-I wanted to support you b-but… I'm such a bad friend… I don't know what to say… I don't know what to do… I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"

"You're a great friend." Koushiro assured. "I wouldn't have shared all of this with you if you weren't."

In an impulse, Jyou pulled the other boy into a tight hug. Koushiro didn't resist it.

Meanwhile, Gomamon and Tentomon were talking in the living room of the Izumi family, while Koushiro's parents were in the kitchen.

"I'm really sorry about your partner's situation…" Gomamon mumbled. "I understand. Jyou almost gets himself killed several times per day… but mainly because of his foolishness, not because of a psycho computer… except that one time."

Tentomon was quiet, looking through the window in the living room. The insect monster had fled the bedroom immediately after Koushiro had finished telling Jyou the truth about Fate. Worried, Gomamon followed him. But his attempts in making the other talk weren't working.

"I wish there was a way to assure that they would be safe." Gomamon whispered, thinking about his own partner.

"I want to help him." Tentomon muttered, looking at the sky. "I keep thinking of Koushiro-han going through all that… it makes my heart hurt."

"At least he's in home and safe now." Gomamon tried to cheer the other up. "We need to think on what to do to stop Fate so it won't keep hurting our partners."

Tentomon slowly turned his head to face the seal digimon.

"Don't call him that." The insect monster said in a severe tone.

"What?" Gomamon was confused.

"Don't call Koushiro-han 'it' ever again."

The serious way Tentomon demanded that sent shivers down Gomamon's spine.

"You understand that Fate is not your partner, don't you?" The seal digimon asked. "That might be a computer program that has the memories of another version of your partner, but that doesn't make it Koushiro."

"But he thinks like Koushiro-han! He feels things like-"

"It's a thing, Tentomon!" Gomamon almost shouted. "A thing that tried to kill us! A thing that we need to defeat! To destroy!"

"I won't let you kill him!"

"It's not even alive!"

They stared each other for almost one minute in silence

"Would you still say that if it was Jyou-han?" The insect asked in low voice. "If your partner had been the one tortured to death and tormented by solitude for billions of years, would you still be so adamant in calling him a thing and wanting to destroy him?"

"If I were in your place, my real partner would still be threatened by an evil computer program from another universe. You can bet your life that I'd do everything to protect my Jyou."

They didn't talk more after that. Koushiro and Jyou made their way to the living room, saying that they had seen fire in the sky through the bedroom's window. Masami and Yoshie heard about it and went to talk to them.

"You're not thinking in going out, are you?" Yoshie asked her son in the most serious voice the boy had heard.

"I think it might be Sora-san's partner fighting, I can't just ignore it!" Koushiro said.

"You still haven't recovered from what happened!" Masami stated.

"The snow has melted now, besides, I don't think _he_ would be acting up this soon." Koushiro told them.

 _He…_ Gomamon thought. _I hope Jyou isn't thinking of that creature as a person as well._

"I agree with your parents, Koushiro-han." Tentomon said.

"Gomamon and I can take care of it. You should take some time to rest." Jyou advised.

Koushiro was about to contest but couldn't bring himself to do it. He knew very well through how much distress he had put his family and friends that day. Aside from that, the boy felt too drained to do anything. Maybe it would be better for him not to force his limits.

"Please, be careful, Jyou-san." Koushiro asked.

"Gomamon is going to be with me, there's nothing to worry about." Jyou affirmed.

His partner frowned at that statement.

* * *

 _The bearer of love!_

While evading Garudamon's attacks, Vamdemon searched for an opening that allowed him to go down and get close to the redhead, the girl that prophecy warned him about. Getting rid of her became his main priority.

"Garudamon, stop!" Patamon shouted, flying in their direction.

"What are you doing here in that form? It's dangerous!" Garudamon inquired, turning to Patamon. Vamdemon took the opportunity to begin to murmur a spell.

"You have nothing to do with this! None of you should get involved!" Patamon stated.

"What are you talking about? That's the digimon that almost made his army kill our partners!" Garudamon contested.

Suddenly, both she and Patamon became paralyzed. Below each of them, a glowing circle with astrological symbols appeared. Vamdemon laughed, flying down, in Patamon's direction. The small monster expected a finishing blow against him. To his shock, Vamdemon passed straight by his side, heading to the children on the ground.

"Takeru, we need to go inside the building!" Yamato urged, pulling his brother by the hand. Sora, who was a few steps away from them, kept her eyes locked at the coming vampire taking out his two whips.

"He's… coming after me." She murmured. "I'll lure him away! You two, get shelter!"

Both Yamato and Takeru protested, but that didn't stop Sora from running. As she predicted, Vamdemon was following her. The girl hoped that her athleticism would buy the two boys enough time. However, as the vampire was a few meters away from her, something that looked like a fluffy ball coming from the right hit him in full force, making Vamdemon collapse on the floor.

Astonished, Sora stared at the little monster that had thrown himself against Vamdemon to protect her. Picodevimon stood up and smiled at the girl.

"I told you I wouldn't forget." He said.

Takeru and Yamato ran to where Sora was. The smaller boy stopped when he saw who had saved Sora.

"You're…" He murmured, not believing his eyes.

"Yeah, I remember you as well." Picodevimon told him. "Good that you don't seem as bloodthirsty as back then. But considering who your partner is…"

The small child paled intensely at that comment.

Meanwhile, Yamato was talking to Sora.

"How could you do something irresponsible like that? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" The older boy inquired.

"Takeru-kun is well, that's what-" The girl began to say.

"Taking care of him is my job! I don't want anyone else getting hurt because of-" He insisted.

"Your brother is important to me as well!" Sora raised her voice.

"I know he is!" Yamato yelled. His whole body was trembling. "I'm not criticizing you. I didn't mean to shout, I never do, but when I get worked up…" He took a deep breath. "I get tangled in meaningless stuff and never say what matters… "

Sora stayed quiet for a couple of seconds. Then, she smiled at him and said:

"Thank you for worrying about me."

"Yeah…" He mumbled, awkwardly.

The break of Vamdemon's concentration would soon free Garudamon and Patamon from the spell. The vampire stood up, knowing he didn't have much time. Picodevimon, the traitor, was a couple of meters in his right, along with the Bloody Lord's partner. The other two children were closer to him. Between him and the girl was the taller boy.

"Look out!" Sora shouted when she noticed Vamdemon. Yamato turned around, but it was too late. The vampire had grabbed him with both arms, securing the child against his body.

"Onii-chan!" Takeru shouted.

Yamato tried to tell his brother that everything would be alright, but Vamdemon pressed a part of his neck and made the boy lose consciousness.

Patamon and Garudamon broke free from the spell. The giant digimon swooped down, landing behind Sora.

"If you don't want me to crush this child to death, you'll let me get away!" Vamdemon threatened. When Patamon arrived, the vampire turned to him and said: "We'll settle this later!"

Vamdemon flew with Yamato until where his carriage was, fleeing afterwards.

"We must follow them!" Garudamon urged. However, she had to devolve to her child form, having spent too much energy in the battle.

"If you're spotted, Yamato-kun would get hurt!" Sora protested.

"I… know where Mas… I mean, Vamdemon's hideout is." Picodevimon told them. "I know that you probably don't trust me, but if there's any way for a coward like me to be helpful…"

"That day, you said that you never wanted to hurt anyone." Sora recalled. "You were really brave to defy Vamdemon like that."

"It could be a trick!" Piyomon said. "Vamdemon and Picodevimon might've planned the whole thing just so this guy could lead us to a trap!"

"It'd be stupid to do that when that guy had the perfect chance to kill us." Sora pointed out. "I wonder why he came after me, though."

"There's a prophecy he obsesses over." Picodevimon informed. "It says that he would become Venomvamdemon and rule the human world, and that he'd be invincible until love engulfed him."

"Sora's crest…" Piyomon muttered.

"The bearer of love must be the biggest threat to him." Picodevimon said. "It's shameful to me to admit it, but that realization helped me to switch sides. For the first time, I believe that someone is capable of stopping him." He gulped, thinking about all the abuse that monster had put him through.

"Prophecy or not, it doesn't change what we have to do." Sora said, determined to rescue Yamato.

"If we're going to do this, I'm going to have to eat something to recover my strength." Piyomon told her partner.

"My Dad's apartment is in the third floor, number 303, the door is open." Takeru informed. "You'll find food there."

"Aren't you coming too?" Sora asked. Takeru merely stared at his partner, a few steps away from him, bearing a devastated expression.

"We're going to save your brother, Takeru-kun." The girl vowed, entering the building with Piyomon. Picodevimon stayed behind, studying Takeru and Patamon. It was still hard for him to believe that such a tiny monster had destroyed his home. Maybe that should motivate him out of allying himself with the chosen children. However, two of them had showed him mercy already, unlike anyone did ever since he had been captured by Vamdemon. Picodevimon wasn't willing to throw that chance away.

The boy approached his partner. The small monster was covered in bruises and was looking at the sky, where Yamato had disappeared.

Anger boiled inside the child's heart. He had seen what happened. If Patamon hadn't distracted Garudamon, Yamato would still be there. But now his brother was a prisoner of a sadistic digimon. What could be happening to him? Was Takeru going to see him again?

But then he remembered how Patamon seemed to want to die, how his guilt and shame were hurting him. The digimon was probably feeling guilty for what had happened. Rubbing it on his face wouldn't help Yamato. It would simply make Patamon feel worse. But if he didn't say anything, Takeru felt that he would be consumed by nasty feelings.

He could feel the weight of his crest around his neck, pulling him down. The crest of hope, that once belonged to a boy who had been murdered in front of his sister. It didn't seem to have worked with Shinsuke, would it work with him? With his brother in danger and his relationship with Patamon damaged to that extent, how would Takeru activate that crest? How would he bond further with his partner when he wasn't sure he knew him anymore?

A small blue car parked not too far away from the child. From it, a couple got out, along with Mimi and Palmon.

The girl was wearing a pink robe over her pajamas. She was exhausted and wouldn't have agreed to going out had Palmon not insisted that the lights in the sky could mean that some of the other chosen digimon were fighting. Mimi couldn't ignore her friends possibly being in danger. She was glad that her parents had asked to accompany her and Palmon, though.

"We saw the lights in the sky…" Mimi murmured, approaching Takeru. Picodevimon spotted her and flew in her direction.

"It's you! The kind girl that saved me back then!" He said, smiling. "I'm glad to see that you're alright!"

"You're that Picodevimon!" Mimi exclaimed, happily surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I…" He hesitated. "I have a lot to explain to you…"

"You don't seem so scared anymore." Mimi observed, showing him a smile. "That makes me glad."

Picodevimon's eyes shone when he heard that.

"What happened here?" Palmon asked, looking at Patamon. The smaller digimon turned to her, showing the plant monster his tear-brimmed eyes.

"Hey there, Banchou." He greeted. "I've disgraced yet more innocent people now. Are you here to punish me?"

That question made Takeru's anger explode.

"You're still with that talk?!" He shouted, clenching his fists. "After my brother got kidnapped because of your self-loathing, you're still at it?!"

"What? Someone got kidnapped?" Satoe asked, nervously.

"Should we call the Police?" Keisuke inquired.

"That happened because you intervened!" Patamon told Takeru. "If you had let Vamdemon-"

"Can't you stop being selfish for a second?!" Takeru cried. "I get it! You did terrible things in your past life and you feel terrible about it! But your self-destruction isn't helping anyone! Nobody you've caused harm will get better if you die! You just want to be killed because you don't want to deal with the mess you created!"

"What… are you talking about…?" Mimi asked, horrified. The boy ignored her.

"Thinking about the past can be painful." Takeru said. "You get lost thinking 'why did things go that way?' or 'if we had done things differently, we wouldn't be like this now' but it doesn't matter. You either adapt to how things change or you run from them… but if you do the latter, aren't you just a coward?"

"Coward…?" Patamon murmured, staring at his partner.

"If you feel so terribly about what you've done, take responsibility!" The boy insisted. "Work on how you can atone for those bad things instead of searching for an easy way out!"

"How could I possibly atone for what I did?!" Patamon asked, among tears.

"Start by choosing to live! Start by helping me save my brother!" The child told him. "We can figure things out as we go, we can take our time for it!"

Takeru offered his hand to Patamon, who was unsure about what to do.

"You know already, don't you?" Palmon asked the boy in a serious tone of voice. "You know that your partner used to be the tyrant Seraphimon and terrorized the Digital World."

"W-What?" Mimi was shocked. "What are you talking about, Palmon? There's no way-"

"It's true." Patamon confirmed. "I'm the Bloody Lord that once took her life, among many others."

Astonished, Mimi took a step back. Her parents didn't understand what was happening, but didn't think their daughter was in any condition to explain anything. Picodevimon stared at Patamon, reminiscing about the Cloud Continent. Meanwhile, Sora and Piyomon left the building; the digimon was eating a large piece of bread.

"Mimi-chan!" The older girl called, surprised to see the fourth-grader there. Mimi's trembling body and horrified expression worried her.

"What's going on here?" Piyomon asked. "We need to hurry and go rescue Yamato! A dangerous digimon-"

"The most dangerous digimon is already here!" Palmon stated, pointing at Patamon.

"You… know already about the Seraphimon thing?" Sora questioned in a murmur.

"Seraphimon? The one from the statue?" Piyomon asked, perplexed.

"The one that killed me and everybody I knew!" Palmon shouted. "The one I vowed to destroy!"

"This is getting a bit intense, isn't it?" Keisuke asked.

"Is that how digimon normally talk to each other?" Satoe wondered.

"Hey, Palmon…" Mimi spoke in a weak voice. "What are you saying? You're not thinking about killing Patamon, are you?"

"What's this madness, Palmon?!" Piyomon asked. "We've known Patamon our entire lives! He's our friend!"

"I'm not going to let you lay a finger on my partner!" Takeru told her.

"Why are you opposing me? He is the villain!" Palmon shouted.

"I don't know what he did in his previous lives or what I did, but that doesn't matter!" Piyomon stated, walking in the other's direction. "We've always been with Patamon! We know who he is now!"

"We really can't afford to waste time discussing this when Yamato-kun has been taken away!" Sora told them.

"Palmon, you're not seriously considering…?" Mimi couldn't finish her question. Tears began to pour from her eyes. "You grew up together, right? Doesn't that make you family?"

The younger girl felt something cold touch her forehead. She looked up and saw several snowflakes falling.

"Fate!" Mimi screamed. "We have to get out of here!"

"We have to go after my brother!" Takeru shouted.

Patamon was the only one observing Palmon, noticing how increasingly distressed she was getting.

"He's evil… he's the enemy… I must destroy him… for the sake of the world… why nobody listens to me? I'm right… they're wrong… they're all wrong!" Palmon muttered, with her eyes wide opened.

 _She sounds like… me, back then…_ Patamon thought, horrified. _If I let her take her revenge against me, what would I be turning Palmon into?_

 _"_ _Mimi-san won't lend you power to destroy him."_ A young male voice echoed in Palmon's mind.

"Who…?" She murmured, soon realizing that it had to be Fate talking to her.

 _"_ _I can give you power to complete your mission."_ The Spirit said. _"Or you can let go of your hatred and forgive Patamon for murdering all those guys."_

 _I don't need you!_ Palmon thought.

 _"_ _You know you can't take on him without my help."_ The other retorted. _"None of them will let you get close to him."_

 _I must stop him… it's my duty… I have to do this!_ Palmon was getting desperate. The faces of everybody she lost in her previous life flashed before her eyes.

 _"_ _I'm only offering you power. What you'll do with it is up to you."_ Fate told her.

Patamon approached her, worried. Palmon had suddenly stopped talking and was looking up, as snowflakes covered her face and petals.

"Palmon?" He called.

The only response he got from the plant digimon was:

"Give me the power."

A whirlpool descended from the sky, enveloping Palmon. When it ceased, a different monster was standing in her place.

"T-That's…" Sora muttered, recognizing that figure from the portrait Babamon had showed them in Aurora Town.

However, the woman with a rose emerging from her head looked different. Her cape was pink instead of green. Her whips and boots were black and the rest of her body was white, emitting a faint glow.

"A Rosemon…?" Patamon mumbled. "But that's not who you're supposed to…"

"Palmon reached ultimate level? The same one Babamon had?" Mimi was disturbed; she picked her digivice from her pocket and examined it, but it didn't show any change. Whatever had happened to her partner had nothing to do with the girl.

"It's worse than just ultimate level!" Picodevimon shrieked. "That's burst mode!"

Rosemon turned her face to Patamon and said:

"Die!"

She turned one of her whips into a spear and was ready to stab him, but Piyomon's voice behind her caught her attention:

"Piyomon evolves to… Birdramon! Birdramon evolves-"

"Don't interfere!" Rosemon ordered, turning the spear back into a whip and using it to grab Birdramon's neck mid-evolution. Afterwards, she threw the bird digimon in full force, making the adult level monster land several meters away while creating craters in the street.

"So, this is Fate's power…" Rosemon said, amused. "With this, I can certainly put an end in evil and protect the innocents forever."

"Takeru, please, lend me your power." Patamon requested, surprising his partner. "She's being deceived by Fate the same way I was! I need to get through to her and open her eyes before she does something she'll regret!"

"You… want to help her?" Takeru asked. "You're not running away anymore?"

"You were right." Patamon acknowledged. "I need to take responsibility instead of destroying myself."

Light came out of Takeru's digivice and enveloped Patamon.

"Patamon evolves to… ANGEMON!"

Angemon set flight, rising to the sky. Rosemon followed him, shouting that he wouldn't get away from her.

* * *

Sora got to where her partner was at the same time that Jyou arrived in his bike, with Gomamon in the basket. The boy looked up and saw the two digimon engaging in combat.

"Who's that fighting Angemon?!" Jyou asked.

"It seems that Palmon evolved with Fate's help and wants to kill Angemon because he was once that Seraphimon that killed lots of digimon!" Sora explained quickly while examining Birdramon's face. Her partner was unconscious.

"Y-You can't be serious!" Gomamon stuttered, looking at the two digimon fighting. "Patamon wouldn't hurt anyone!"

"Maybe not now, but in the past…" The girl muttered.

"Fate did that to Palmon…?" Jyou asked, in horror. "Why would he…?"

The boy then noticed Mimi on the sidewalk, where both her parents hugged her. The girl's mortified expression broke Jyou's heart. He grabbed Gomamon and ran to where she was. She barely reacted to seeing him.

"What should I do?" Mimi asked in a weak voice once she saw Jyou, letting a few tears roll from her eyes. "Patamon was a bad digimon once… Palmon was a heroine who died fighting him… but that's not the case anymore, is it?" She looked at Jyou with pleading eyes. "They're supposed to be friends and y-yet… is it just that I can't understand her? Because I'm naïve and sheltered… because I'm weak…"

"Honey, don't say that about yourself!" Satoe told her.

"I don't exactly understand the situation but I'm sure that anyone would react the same way as you!" Keisuke assured.

Jyou thought about what he could say to the girl. Mimi had always been the one to know which words to use to lift his spirit. If it wasn't for her, he would still be the same coward and unsure guy that didn't believe in himself. But Mimi had seen the best in him and brought it forth. Jyou owed so much to her and cared so deeply about her, he swore that he wouldn't let her down.

"You know that I'll never lie to you…" He began. "You're strong like nobody else. Your heart is resilient and you believe in everything you say. You're not afraid of talking about your feelings and know how to encourage other people. I can't think in anyone wiser than you."

"But I can't understand what Palmon is going through!" Mimi contested.

"Then, ask her to tell you about her feelings!" Jyou said. "And tell her about yours! Does Palmon even know how she's making you sad?"

"Would she care about that?" Mimi asked. "She was a warrior and I'm just some ordinary girl!"

"There's nothing ordinary about you!" Jyou stated. "You're braver and stronger than you can imagine! Not to mention how kind and empathetic you are! Your heart is like a stronghold, Mimi-kun…" Jyou lowered his voice. "I really admire you for it."

"Palmon told me that a couple times… she called me strong…" Mimi muttered, gently getting away from her parents' embrace and approaching Jyou. "But that was before she remembered who she was…"

"What is that even supposed to mean?" Gomamon asked, still in Jyou's arms. "I don't know who I was in my last life! And, frankly, I couldn't care less if I were to find out that I was some nasty guy that did bad things! What matters is the life that I have now, with the people I've met! The Palmon I know never stopped being excited about Mimi's arrival. She was the most responsible one and was always giving us advice… she took care of Tokomon when he was afraid of storms…" Gomamon's eyes got wet. "She can't just forget the life we had together, as if it meant nothing!"

"Mimi-kun, you can get through to Palmon!" Jyou assured. "You're her partner, she will listen to you!"

"I can't talk to her when she's up in the sky!" Mimi pointed out.

"Your hearts are still connected." Gomamon told her. "If you concentrate on your feelings, I'm sure they'll reach her."

"My feelings…" Mimi mumbled, looking at her digivice and holding it with both hands. "Can I really… do that?"

Jyou gently placed his hands over hers, while looking into her eyes and giving her a reassuring smile.

"I believe in you, Mimi-kun." He said.

Mimi felt new tears coming to her eyes and a warm feeling taking hold of her heart. She smiled to Jyou as well, saying "Thank you."

When the boy let go of her, Mimi closed her digivice in her hands and looked to the sky, where Angemon was evading her partner's attacks.

* * *

Meanwhile, Picodevimon was observing Takeru.

"Does that digimon have history with your partner?" He asked.

"It seems that Palmon used to be a heroine that opposed him and died." The child replied.

"I remember a digimon like that in the Cloud Continent." Picodevimon said. "She had a dazzling smile and brought hope to everybody… there was even a ballad in her honor. She was an ultimate level digimon, but wasn't a Rosemon."

"You're from that Continent…?" Takeru asked in low voice. "I'm really sorry…"

"My memories of my life there are so distant that they're almost like a dream." The digimon told him.

"Do you hate Patamon for what he did?"

"I certainly hate Seraphimon. However, I don't know your partner well enough yet."

"They're the same digimon, though…" Takeru said, sadly.

"I like to think that people can change for the better." Picodevimon replied. "Otherwise, I wouldn't be here now, helping the chosen children."

Those words put Takeru at ease.

* * *

Angemon wasn't attacking her. Rosemon hit him with the whip sometimes, but wasn't capable of holding him still and delivering a fatal blow. _Why can't I finish him?_ She wondered. _I'm more powerful than I've ever been now! I can finally save the world from him!_

Rosemon thought about her home village, where she was the first digimon to reach ultimate level. The children smiled at her and asked her to let them play with her yo-yos. Her carefree days, however, didn't last long. News from the Server Continent arrived. There was an angel digimon slaughtering innocents. All those she knew sought her, in hope. "You're strong!" "You're an ultimate!" "You can save us!" They said. How could she decline their requests?

She got allies and traveled to that place. What she found there was destruction. Death plagued every corner. Despair was imprinted in all those faces. The digimon saw her, an ultimate level monster, and begged her to save them. Some begged her in their last breath. How many was she not capable of saving? How many of her promises fell on deaf ears?

How many of her allies were murdered before her eyes, pleading her to defeat the Tyrant?

She kept fighting, without ever resting. She killed many enemies, his subordinates. For a while, she thought she could actually win the war, believing the ballad the people sang for her.

 _Her spirit beaming with incandescent courage._

 _Her dazzling weapons soaring with justice._

 _Banchou! Banchou! No one compares to her force!_

 _The one and only who can oppose the Bloody Lord!_

But then, when she faced Seraphimon in battle, she lost. Her entire army, her friends, all massacred. She died with a sword piercing her heart, crying. In her final moments, all she could do was to vow to return. She wouldn't disappoint everybody who had put faith in her. She would fulfill her duty and take the Tyrant's life.

However, she didn't remember anything when she was reborn. Ignorantly, she befriended her enemy, shared with him her hopes for the future, and cared for him. All part of Fate's sick joke. The same entity to whom she sold her soul to acquire the power she needed. Her pride didn't matter. All that was important was to put an end to her enemy and honor those who had fallen.

Then, why couldn't she bring herself to kill him? Why, whenever she looked at him, she saw the tiny digimon she had grown up with instead of the merciless murderer? And why was that Tyrant barely fighting back when he should know that, if he got killed in the human world, he would never return to life?

"You inspired people." Angemon told her. "The masses followed you out of love. On the other hand, all I could ever achieve was to inspire fear in them."

"That's what you wanted!"

"I wanted to save the world. Fate granted me power saying that I could do that… convincing me that I was right about everything…." Angemon said. "But deep down, I knew that what I was doing couldn't be right. I kept lying to myself… but that nasty feeling never went away. Now, it consumes me… it's so unbearable that all I wanted was to get rid of it, no matter how…"

"Are you expecting me to pity you?!" Rosemon snarled.

"I don't want your pity. I know very well that I've done unforgivable things." Angemon clarified. "But I also know you. That noble warrior that fought me for the sake of other people wouldn't give in to her anger and accept the help of the same entity that started everything."

"So you think I'm a hypocrite?" Rosemon tried to imprint indifference in her voice.

"I think you're confused and in a lot of pain." He told her. "You're crumbling under your guilt and shame, and forgetting who you are."

"I know who I am!" She stated.

"You know who you were once and now you're trying too hard to be that again. But you don't have to. We were reborn! We have the chance to make different choices and forge different lives! You don't have to be bound by your past!"

"Shut up! You're just trying to mess with my head!" Rosemon shouted, tying Angemon with a whip while turning the other one she had into a spear. "I'll put an end to you!"

"Is that what you truly want?" He asked, sadly.

"Be quiet!" Rosemon ordered. However, deep sadness emerged from her heart. The snowflakes that were still falling made her shiver. She thought she could listen to Mimi's pained voice calling her.

Was the girl upset again? Upset because of her? But Rosemon was doing what was right. Mimi had to understand that. If she couldn't, then maybe they shouldn't be partners. She didn't need that child's power to save the world. That thought, however, made her heart ache.

"Takeru believes I can change." Angemon said.

"He's a naïve child."

"He's kind, like how I wanted him to be. Do you remember how you hoped Mimi-"

"Don't bring her into this! Mimi has nothing to do with this!"

"She's your partner!" Angemon stated. "Do you think she's okay with what you're doing?"

Rosemon knew that Mimi wouldn't accept that, ever. If she went along with it, she'd be throwing away her relationship with Mimi. Wasn't it selfish to worry about that when there were more important things in stake, though? Nevertheless, to think that she would never listen to Mimi laughing or to the words that she spoke from her heart, to think she wouldn't see her partner smiling again and that she would cause her misery… it filled Rosemon with agony.

She didn't want that. But what kind of dishonorable digimon would she be if she spared that Tyrant?

"If I don't kill you, you'll do it all over again…" She muttered.

"Never." Angemon said with unshakable conviction.

"If I don't do this… everybody you've killed…"

"Nothing I've done will be changed by my death."

"I can't forgive you!" She roared, tightening the whip around his torso. "I can't ever forgive you!"

"It's not about forgiving me! It's not about me at all!" Angemon told her. "You have to think about what's best for you! By taking my life, you'll enter a path that will only bring you pain and solitude. Please, don't make the same mistake I did! Don't sacrifice your happiness like that!"

Rosemon lifted the spear and pointed it at the middle of the other's chest. She could kill him in a second and it would all be over. Everything would end for him and for her. Mimi's anguished cry echoed in her mind. It should be her imagination, but it felt real, as if the girl was there to stop her from diving into her darkest impulses.

Sweet and brave Mimi, always so strong… she loved her so much, and Palmon loved her too.

She let go of Angemon, letting herself fall, slowly. The snow stopped coming, and she felt Fate's power leaving her body, which was getting smaller. She closed her eyes, expecting to hit the ground. Instead, a pair of soft arms received her.

Tanemon opened her eyes and saw Mimi's crying face.

"I'm sorry…" The digimon muttered.

"You better be sorry!" Mimi said, showing her a trembling smile. "Don't you ever scare me like that again!"

"I won't." Tanemon promised.

Angemon descended from the sky, turning into Patamon.

"You did it!" Takeru said, smiling at him.

"Thanks to you." The digimon replied.

Yellow light shone briefly under Takeru's shirt.

A couple of minutes later, Sora returned to where the others were. Birdramon had woken up and was flying above the girl.

"It seems that you guys sorted things out by yourselves." The leader said, smiling.

"Then, we should go after Yamato now." Birdramon proposed, to which her partner quickly agreed.

Takeru explained to Mimi and Jyou what had happened prior to their arrival and asked them to tell his father about it if the man appeared. After that, the boy, along with Sora, Patamon and Picodevimon, held onto Birdramon's feet as the bird flew away, following Picodevimon's instructions. Takeru took the necklace from under his shirt, looking at the crest of hope.

 _I'm coming, Onii-chan. Wait for me!_

* * *

When Yamato regained his senses, he found himself lying on the cold ground of a badly lit jail cell.

"Hey, there!" Someone greeted from his right. The boy sat up and saw what looked like a lizard wearing a fur coat smiling to him.

"You look like Takeru, do you have any connection to him?"

"Do you know my brother?" Yamato asked.

"He's a friend of mine. I came to this world to look for him, but things got out of hand. Do you know where he is now?"

"Safe with Sora, hopefully…" The boy muttered, looking around. The walls, the ceiling and the floor were made of rocky blocks. The metallic jail bars in his front were thick. He couldn't think on a way to get out of there.

"I'm Yamato." He introduced himself.

"You can call me Gabumon." The other replied.

 **I'm very sorry for taking so long to update. Thank you for the patience and support. Next chapter, "Ishida Takaishi," should come in October.**


	34. Ishida Takaishi

**I dedicate this chapter to my friend SkuAg, for her birthday tomorrow. :)**

 **Chapter 34: Ishida Takaishi**

After locking the unconscious boy in Gabumon's cell, Vamdemon returned to his chamber. He brought most of his magic books to a table and leafed through them with trembling hands. Picodevimon had betrayed the vampire, which meant it was a matter of time until the little traitor brought the chosen children to his tower. He needed to find the best spells to lay traps and think of a plan to keep the bearer of love as far away from him as possible.

 _That coward must've heard about her crest during my battle…_ Vamdemon concluded. _He thought that I was done for and that he'd have more chances of surviving by switching sides! Once I defeat the chosen children, I'll punish him in the cruelest way possible! I'll make him regret betraying me every day for the rest of his life!_

"Vamdemon-sama!" Agumon called, entering the chamber. "I was at the edge of the island and found-"

"The chosen children are already here?!" Vamdemon asked, taking two steps back. He hadn't had time to do anything. The vampire glanced at the window by his right, through which he could see the mist he had cast around the tower. Would that girl and her partner break through there in any second? The thought made him shiver.

"What? No!" Agumon replied, getting close to the table to show the other a hat he was holding. "I found a cop cap floating on the water! Isn't it neat? It's not the same as wearing a wig, but until I get new wigs-"

"Did you interrupt my important research to talk about a hat?!" Vamdemon inquired.

"I didn't have anyone else to talk about it with." Agumon explained. "I mean, I could talk to Gabumon, but figured it'd be awkward. The poor guy never had the chance to see me wearing one of my wigs-"

"If you don't stop spitting nonsense this second, I'll snap your neck!" Vamdemon threatened.

Agumon didn't seem scared. He looked into the vampire's eyes and said:

"If you do that, there will be nobody left by your side."

Vamdemon glared at him, but didn't contest Agumon's point.

"The chosen children are about to arrive. Go make yourself useful and watch the prisoners!" Vamdemon ordered.

"I hope that Bloody Lord doesn't come too." Agumon sighed. "Why can't that dangerous guy fight the children instead of us?"

The smaller monster left without saying anything else, not knowing that he had given Vamdemon an idea.

 _Of course! It's such an obvious solution!_ The vampire thought. _He's certainly coming here with that weak little kid he has for a partner. If I can separate that child from the others and terrify him into submission, the Bloody Lord will do whatever I want!_

* * *

In retrospect, it seemed obvious that the relationship between Hiroaki and Natsuko was doomed from the start. He was the intrepid investigative reporter who put the search for the truth above all else. He could spend days away from home to work on his stories, sparsely eating, sleeping and showering. Hiroaki enjoyed cigars and alcohol, but never consumed them to a degree that could alter his consciousness. Coffee was his favorite drink when he needed an extra incentive. His work place and apartment were messy to a chaotic level, but that disorganization helped him to write.

Natsuko, on the other hand, was a specialist in foreign politics and economics. Her job wasn't as immersive as his, which allowed her to put order in every aspect of her life. Natsuko was methodic to an extreme, so much so that it was nearly impossible to find any mistake or imprecision in her work. Her clothes were always clean and fitted her perfectly, her make-up was always impeccable, her voice was always in the right tone, never too low or too high. Her workplace was the tidiest he had ever seen.

Hiroaki and Natsuko were young and fell in one of the most common traps for young people. They found their huge differences fascinating and thought they could complement each other. In the first years, their oddities were charming to one another. But with their marriage and the arrival of their first child, Natsuko's seriousness became "up tightness" and Hiroaki's free spirit became "irresponsibility." They made the great mistake of trying to fix each other. By the time their second child was born, their relationship became unbearable.

They agreed that they had to take different paths. The couple knew it would be too hard for one of them to take care of both kids. Thankfully, Yamato deciding to go with his father prevented Hiroaki from having to choose which son he would raise. Takeru had his mother's sharp mind, but was more flexible and easy-going. Yamato had Natsuko's seriousness, but inherited his father's unwillingness to talk about his emotions.

Hiroaki knew deep down that avoiding his emotions couldn't be good to Yamato. He knew that his older son was distancing himself from his mother and that he should miss her, but Hiroaki never insisted that he talk more to her or to visit her. Nor did the man question why Yamato didn't want to do those things. His son's behavior made things easier for the adult. That way, Hiroaki wouldn't have to spend too much time with his ex, remembering everything that went wrong with their marriage.

Takeru, however, wasn't willing to let their bond end. The little kid took the initiative to ask Natsuko to call his father and brother and to take him to visit them. Hiroaki's post-divorce conversations with Natsuko were short and polite, but it was clear to him that she was as uncomfortable with the situation as he was. However, the kids were happy when they were together. Yamato smiled to Takeru in a way that he didn't for anyone else.

Ever since the divorce, it had always been Natsuko the one to call Hiroaki. It wasn't different when they were arranging the summer camp for the two boys. Nor was it when she told him that said camp had been canceled and that Takeru was going to spend the night in his place because of the snow.

"I guess I should get home earlier today, then…" Hiroaki muttered to his cell phone, sitting on a chair by his desk in Fuji TV.

"Will you ever stop spending your nights working? Yamato is still very young." Natsuko said.

"He's quite independent." Hiroaki contested. "Yamato doesn't complain about being left alone."

"He doesn't really complain about anything we do…" Natsuko muttered.

"Did something happen?"

"When Takeru called me, he sounded happy to spend the night with his brother… he told me some funny stories about visiting another world and befriending a talking monster." She chuckled.

"Takeru always had a vivid imagination." Hiroaki said, smiling. "He could be a writer one day."

"Then, he wanted to give the phone to his brother…" Natsuko continued, sounding sad. "I think Yamato didn't want to talk to me… after that, the lines went down…"

"You could try calling him now that the lines are up."

"I don't want to force myself on Yamato…"

"You're his mother, Natsuko." Hiroaki reminded her. "It's not out of place for you to want to talk to him. He's free to call you and visit you, but Yamato is… I'm not sure I know how he thinks…"

"Understanding people was never your thing."

"I know…" Hiroaki smirked. "That's why I wish Yamato could became closer to you again."

"You used to tell me I was cold." Natsuko said.

"I used to say many stupid things, and so did you."

The woman didn't say anything for half a minute.

"Could you call Yamato and check how they're doing?" She asked.

"Sure."

Hiroaki didn't call Yamato immediately afterwards. First, he went to the building's roof to smoke. It wasn't snowing anymore, but the weather was still cold. He remembered when his two boys played together on the snow, while he and Natsuko observed them quietly. The smile she bore in those times was her most beautiful.

He wondered at times if moving to Odaiba was the right choice. If he had stayed in Kawada, Yamato would be closer to Natsuko. The boy and his mother were very similar in temperament, and Hiroaki was sure that the woman would make the boy cheerier. Besides, Hiroaki would spend more time with Takeru and get to know his younger son better. Compared to his brother, the smaller child was more extroverted and emotionally open. The younger kid seemed to believe that the family could still be happy despite being apart. But that unbreakable optimism Takeru had was hurtful to Hiroaki. He knew that it was a matter of time until that childish naivety faded.

Hiroaki once believed that thinking positively would make things work out in the end, but it hadn't worked at all.

When the man returned to his desk, he called Yamato, asking the boy why he hadn't told him about Takeru spending the night sooner. Yamato was quite taciturn about it, saying that he didn't have time to call because he was cooking, and then the lines went down.

"Your mother was asking about you." Hiroaki told him.

"Takeru had already talked to her."

"You're her son too, you know?" Hiroaki spoke in a severe tone. "She cares about you and I know that you care for her -"

"I think I heard Takeru calling, I need to go." Yamato interrupted, turning the phone off. Hiroaki sighed.

About ten minutes after that, a commotion started in Fuji TV. Some people had called, claiming to have seen monsters. To Hiroaki's shock, the place where they had been spotted was in front of his building. Maybe Takeru wasn't being over-imaginative, after all.

The other journalists seemed convinced that it was probably just a ruse and said that people claimed to see strange things like aliens and ghosts all the time. Nevertheless, Hiroaki wanted to check.

* * *

"I was the oldest one in the Village of the Beginnings, besides Carer. I should've been more responsible… braver…" Gabumon told Yamato. "I was terrified when Devimon trapped us. Takeru and Patamon didn't have to cross over, they should know that they'd be trapped as well… but they did it anyway. They swore they would help… Takeru comforted me. He said that I was still a kid and shouldn't be ashamed of being scared." The digimon blushed. "Devimon murdered Carer in cold blood and then trapped the other children and digimon. Nevertheless, Takeru faced him with unwavering determination. He and Angemon defeated that monster, but the digimon died and returned to being an egg. Even after losing his partner, Takeru still worried about the babies… he must have been in great pain but he still wanted to help. Even though I assured him that I'd take care of the Village, Takeru told me to call him whenever I needed help."

"And you need help now?" Yamato asked in low voice, still taking in all that Gabumon had told him. He already knew that story, but to hear more details about how Takeru had acted in such a desperate situation filled him with complicated feelings.

"An ultimate level digimon called Pinochimon, one of the most loyal followers of the Queen, came and took the Village." Gabumon said in a pained tone. "He was too strong… as he kicked me out, he laughed and told me not to worry about anything because soon, all digimon would die and be reborn and a new and better world would come into existence."

"Is that guy going to kill the babies?" Yamato asked, horrified.

"All I knew was that I needed help. I heard rumors that the chosen children had died, but I didn't want to believe in that!" Gabumon glanced at the floor. "I saw Carer in a dream… he told me to come to the human world, where I'd find the chosen children. Many digimon knew that Vamdemon was assembling an army for an invasion… well, the army got killed, but it was still my best shot to finding Takeru and the others."

"So, you want my brother and the other children to go back with you?" Yamato inquired.

"From what I understand, your brother's partner used to be the most powerful digimon in the world. If Patamon really had a change of heart…" Gabumon hesitated for a few seconds, but then smiled. "He sacrificed himself to save the Village, of course he changed. I can't just discard an ally like that… the other children must be strong as well…"

"What would happen if I forbade Takeru from going?" Yamato asked.

"I don't think you'd be able to do that." Gabumon replied. "Nobody would stop that boy once he decided on doing something."

"He's stubborn like that…" Yamato muttered. "Why would he care about my opinion anyway? I never could do a damn thing for him…"

"You don't have to do things to earn other people's love and respect, you know?" Gabumon told him. "You gain those things just by being yourself."

Being himself was a strange concept to Yamato. For so long he had been trying to be someone who could be counted on, a reliable brother and son, a person his parents wouldn't worry about. But the more he tried to be strong and dependable, the more he isolated himself. Instead of helping others, he had his feelings misunderstood and hurt people. What good had his sacrifices been when the result was his mother thinking he hated her?

Takeru was never prone to sacrificing himself or lying about his feelings. He reached out and stated what he wanted. For a long time, Yamato had believed that was just the boy being childish, but maybe he was wrong. Takeru's successes had proved that his way of thinking wasn't incorrect. Maybe if Yamato was more like him, he wouldn't fail so much. That wasn't the point, though. Instead of trying to emulate what he wanted to be, maybe Yamato should be more straightforward with his feelings and let people get close to him.

However, the idea of others knowing that he wasn't strong or mature, but a lonely and vulnerable kid, scared him. Why couldn't he change? Why couldn't he become what he truly wanted?

"Be yourself, you say…" Yamato mumbled. "That must be easy for other people… but who am I deep down? Who am I when I'm not trying to be someone better? Who would want to know that person?"

Someone who sometimes cried quietly in his bedroom when he missed his brother and mother too much, someone who looked at old family photos when home alone, someone who had a hard time putting his emotions in words and therefore played his harmonica, almost hoping that the musical notes could carry his sadness away, to a place where it would never catch up to him. But the sadness never truly left him. His father would feel guilty if he noticed it, his mother too and Takeru… so Yamato tried to bury those feelings down. He tried to shut his nasty thoughts and force himself to be better. Why couldn't he just accept that things had changed already? Why couldn't he be the person who wasn't bothered by that anymore?

Instead, he just kept disappointing everybody. Powerless to achieve anything that mattered. Who wouldn't be ashamed of someone like him?

"I'd like to know you better, Yamato." Gabumon told him. "I think I can relate to you."

Yamato looked at Gabumon for a couple of minutes.

"You're really kind." The boy told him.

Gabumon blushed and looked away.

"T-Those were just normal niceties, no need to make a big deal out of it." The digimon said. "I mean, that's how friends talk to each other, isn't it? Not that I've had many friends, but… well, you get it!"

"Friends…" Yamato repeated. _Do I even have friends?_

* * *

Sitting by Sora's side on Birdramon's left foot, Takeru examined his crest.

"That time, Otae-san told me that if I died, Onii-chan would suffer a lot…"

"Nobody is going to die tonight." Sora promised.

"It's not that…" Takeru said. "She also told me that her brother… the first owner of my crest… if Shinsuke-san had survived her, he would have taken a path worse than hers and become something twisted, and that I should be afraid of that..."

"Our predecessors made many missteps along the way… and they weren't in a good place to give advice. I mean, think about what Kanda-san did…" Sora muttered. "Just because things went bad for them, it doesn't mean that we'll commit the same mistakes, Takeru-kun. As long as we keep choosing to be kind, we'll be alright."

Takeru glanced to his right, spotting Patamon and Picodevimon talking in low voice on Birdramon's other foot.

Patamon wasn't evil, but he had done terrible things once, believing that those terrible things had been good. If his sweet partner could walk down that path, couldn't the same thing happen to Takeru?

The boy was changing, he could feel it in his heart. Ever since he went to the Digital World, Takeru had become fiercer and more determined. He had good intentions, but was unsure about where his intense emotions could take him. Takeru wished he could stop running towards the unknown destination that was the future and have some time to think. He wished he could preserve whatever was possible from his childhood , despite of what kind of person he would grow to be.

The anger he developed in the Digital World scared him deeply. It felt like fire, not only burning him from the inside, but also causing pain to those close to him. Takeru knew he wasn't an innocent child anymore. Earlier that day, wasn't he guilt-tripping his brother into talking to their mother? He thought it was for his brother's own good. When did Takeru become so conceited?

One of his main motivations in changing Patamon's mind was his desire to keep his friend. And then, he convinced his partner to live to atone for his crimes not just out of concern for him, but because Takeru wanted Patamon's help to rescue Yamato. Wasn't that manipulative of him? The boy said that they would figure things out as they went, but wasn't really sure about that. Patamon might have changed for the better in his new life, but Takeru wasn't certain if the same would happen to him.

Takeru knew that he had a selfish and self-righteous side, that he could be arrogant and even cunning. He had the best intentions when he behaved that way, but how easy would it be for him to lose himself? What if something happened and made him twisted? The uncertainty of the future loomed in his front, ever so menacing.

 _I can always choose to be kind…_ Takeru told himself, taking in Sora's words. _I won't have this taken from me!_

* * *

"Back on the Cloud Continent, I used to think that my friends were foolish for opposing you." Picodevimon told Patamon, on Birdramon's right foot. "I thought that, against overwhelming power, the only option was to surrender… deep down, I knew it was wrong to think like that. But I was too frightened to do otherwise."

"But you did the right thing when it came down to it…" Patamon pointed out. "I had to first be killed by my sister and forget who I was…"

"Vamdemon was spying on you while you were telling the story…" Picodevimon said. "I can't imagine how it must be to believe you're good and then, one day, suddenly remember a past life where you were horrible…"

Patamon frowned and did not say anything in response for almost a minute.

"I'll find a way to uncorrupt the data of those who died on your continent." Patamon vowed.

"The Queen has been trying to do that since she defeated you." Picodevimon informed. "Even now, when she's trapped with those lost souls in a pocket dimension, I think she's still trying to save them. I don't know what her plan is, though."

"Have you… ever talked to Ofanimon?"

Picodevimon blushed upon hearing the Queen's name.

"I never had the honor." He replied. "Uhm… can I ask something?"

"Of course you can."

"The Academy has chosen you and the children to fight the Queen's forces… isn't she your enemy now?"

Patamon looked deeply into his eyes and said:

"I don't care about what the Academy wanted. I'm going to save my sister!"

Birdramon, who had been silently listening to both conversations, reached the mist surrounding Vamdemon's tower. Picodevimon helped her to maneuver and they all landed on the small island. She devolved to Piyomon and went to Sora's side.

"I know a passage to the dungeons." Picodevimon told them. "If we're lucky, we can get in and out without him noticing us."

"Let's go, then." Sora said.

* * *

"I was just so hurt… angry… my thoughts were clouded, and I was sinking in that despair… I wanted to put an end to Patamon… not because he was a threat… I thought it'd make me feel better… but it didn't." Tanemon muttered on her partner's lap; at her right, Jyou was sitting on the sidewalk while holding Gomamon. Mimi's parents were at her left. Some people had come out of the buildings after Birdramon flew away, but they weren't paying attention to them.

"It's complicated when you think about it." Gomamon said. "I don't remember my previous life, so I can't really relate with what you went through. But it must be disturbing to suddenly remember that you used to be somebody else and had a whole baggage past with a digimon you had grown up with."

"I'm not sure how to feel about Patamon." Tanemon said. "When I was fighting, I just thought that, if I killed him, I'd be burning my bridges with everybody… and that Mimi wouldn't want to be my partner anymore." A few tears formed in her eyes. "I could hear Mimi's voice in my head… I could feel that I was hurting her… I cast aside everything that once was important to me because I couldn't bear to lose my most important person in this life."

"I was sure that it was impossible for me to understand your problems…" Mimi told her. "So many bad things were happening, one after the other… Fate possessing my Mom and telling me that we were chess pieces… Koushiro-kun being in danger because I called him over… I felt powerless… weak… I thought that everything was crumbling down around me and there was no stopping to it… to see you evolving without me to try to kill Patamon broke me even further…"

"But you two were still connected." Jyou pointed out, smiling. "Your feelings reached your partner, Mimi-kun. Even at your lowest point, you were strong enough to break through to her and bring her back."

"I wouldn't have done that without your encouragement, Jyou-san." She said, smiling too.

"You sure are close to my daughter, boy…" Keisuke commented, frowning.

"Mimi-kun is an important friend to me! I want to support her the best way I can!" Jyou told him.

"I also try to support him and all of my friends." Mimi added.

"That's great, Mimi-chan!" Satoe complimented.

Keisuke was still looking at Jyou disapprovingly.

"I don't like this…" The man mumbled.

"It's cool. Jyou is like an acquired taste, you need time to appreciate him!" Gomamon said.

The two digimon, Mimi and Satoe giggled, while Jyou got flustered.

 _They're just kids, what am I even thinking?_ Keisuke thought. _Kids suddenly thrown into a dire situation that could've cost their lives…_

A black car parked not far from there and a man came out of it. He walked among the people discussing whether what they had seen were aliens or special effects of a new movie.

"He kind of looks like Takeru-kun's brother…" Jyou commented, getting up. "It could be his father!"

Jyou and Mimi went to the man, with their partner in their arms.

"Are you by any chance Mr. Ishida?" Mimi questioned. "Takeru-kun asked us to tell you what happened."

"Are you friends with Takeru?" Hiroaki asked, examining both children.

"Yeah, they all met in the Digital World!" Gomamon informed him.

Hiroaki stared at the talking monster.

"You know, kids? Maybe _we_ should tell him what happened." Satoe suggested, approaching them.

"That's right, leave the explanation to the adults." Keisuke added, pulling the startled Hiroaki by the arm to the other side of the street. Mimi, Jyou and their partners returned to their previous spot.

"Listen, Mimi-kun…" Jyou began to say. "While Koushiro-kun was… away from his body…" The boy gulped. "He came to learn things… really horrible things about…"

"Fate?" Mimi asked, upset. "Was he trying to learn from the enemy in that situation?"

"You have to know about it, you all have…" Jyou continued, in a pained voice. "But Koushiro-kun should be the one to tell you… if you really want to know now, I can try to find a phone and ask him if I can tell you…"

"We're still going to have that reunion tomorrow, right?" The girl asked. "If Koushiro-kun feels ready to talk, I'll listen to him along with everybody else."

Jyou looked at her with surprise.

"Last time, you-" He began.

"I know. I made you tell me all that." She said. "But if he told you what happened, it means that he trusts his friends more, right? I'm glad…"

"Koushiro isn't in danger right now." Tanemon commented. "We don't have to listen to more bad news immediately. I'd like to recover from what just happened to us first."

"Yeah…" Mimi agreed. "We need to take care of ourselves now; otherwise we won't be of any help to our friends when they need us."

Mimi felt warmth coming from her robe's pocket, where her digivice was. When she realized it, Palmon was sitting on her lap, smiling at her.

* * *

The narrow rocky corridor took many turns, disorientating Sora and her companions. The space didn't allow more than two people to stand side by side. Picodevimon led the way, followed by Piyomon, Sora, Takeru and Patamon. After walking blindly for a few minutes, they found some upside-down torches attached to the walls.

"Are the torches upside-down or are we walking on the ceiling?" Sora asked.

"Vamdemon has deep knowledge about magic." Picodevimon explained. "He must be manipulating space… leading us to a trap…"

The small digimon began to tremble.

"We're going to be alright." Takeru promised.

"Yes, you don't have to be afraid of that guy." Patamon added.

"Sora and I will definitely kick his-" Piyomon began to say, but stopped when they reached the end of the tunnel, which was a small hole on a wall, partially hidden by a pillar two feet in front of it. They entered a large hall with jail cells. Yamato and Gabumon were sitting on the floor in one of them.

"Onii-chan!" Takeru called, running to Yamato. The older boy stood up and tried to hug his brother amidst the bars.

"Takeru, you shouldn't have come after me! It's dangerous!" Yamato scolded, but his voice didn't sound angry.

"As if I'd let Sora-san rescue you without me!" Takeru spoke seriously.

"I'm sorry, Yamato-kun." Sora said. "I couldn't leave him behind."

Yamato glanced at the smiling girl standing close to his brother. He didn't feel like complaining anymore. Then, Yamato noticed Patamon flying next to Takeru.

"Have you two made amends?" He asked.

Patamon and Takeru exchanged looks.

"Yeah!" The child said in low voice.

"We're facing the future together!" Patamon replied. "So I can do something about my past."

"It's good to see you again, Takeru!" Gabumon greeted, happy to finally have the chance to talk.

"You're that Gabumon!" Takeru was happy to see him again. "What are you doing here?"

"I joined Vamdemon to come look for you. But I was found out and put here." Gabumon explained, then glancing at Picodevimon. "By the way, thanks for saving my life."

"Oh… o-okay…" Picodevimon spoke awkwardly, not used to be thanked.

"How are we going to free them?" Piyomon asked. "Should I try one of my attacks?"

"That lock can only be opened by magic." Picodevimon said, approaching the bars. "I think I've read about an opening spell once…"

"You know magic? That's incredible!" Sora was amazed.

"It's not a big deal at all!" Picodevimon said, flustered. "It's just a basic spell I learned when Master wasn't looking; it probably won't even work…"

"Don't bring yourself down like that!" Takeru told him.

"That's right! We have to be positive!" Patamon agreed.

"Ok!" Picodevimon conceded. He closed his eyes and muttered the spell. Right after that, the cell's door was open.

"I… actually did it…?" The bat digimon asked, startled.

Yamato and Gabumon ran from the cell. The boy could fully embrace his brother now.

"I'm sorry for worrying you and leaving you like that!" Yamato's voice almost broke.

"It wasn't your fault, don't be silly!" Takeru told him.

Sora looked at the two siblings, happy to see them together and well.

"HOLD ON THERE, CHOSEN CHILDREN!" A voice shouted.

Coming from the dark corridor in the beginning of the hall, a little yellow dinosaur wearing a police cap on his head walked in their direction.

"It's Agumon!" Gabumon said.

"I guess he ran out of wigs…" Picodevimon commented. "Is he Policecapagumon now?"

"I'm still Agumon!" The digimon stated. "Master knew that you would come after that boy and sent me to stop you!"

"You realize we vastly outnumber you, right?" Piyomon asked.

"Come on, Agumon, switch sides already!" Gabumon told him. "What do you even gain by sticking with Vamdemon?"

"I know it must be terrifying for you to leave Vamdemon…" Picodevimon muttered. "But if you look deeply into your heart, I know that-"

"Alright, I'll join you guys!" Agumon said, smiling.

"That easily?!" Picodevimon was astonished.

"It's not like I was very loyal to that guy anyway." Agumon explained. "All I wanted was to come to the human world and get my hands on all the fabulous wigs!"

"How… frivolous…" Yamato muttered.

"At least he's not our enemy…" Sora shared the boy's disappointment.

"I have the feeling that he's not very smart…" Piyomon whispered.

"We're wasting time! Let's get out of here already!" Picodevimon urged.

Sora, Yamato, Gabumon and Piyomon entered the passage on the wall first. Yamato extended his arms to help Takeru get in. However, the passage was abruptly closed. Sora was able to pull the older boy to her side before the closing passage sliced his arms off.

"Onii-chan! Sora-san!" Takeru called from the other side. Yamato, who had fallen on Sora, was about to get up and punch the wall when the floor disappeared from under their feet. The two kids, along with Gabumon and Piyomon, fell in a dark void.

"They screamed! Something happened!" Takeru shouted.

"We fell in his trap!" Picodevimon was getting desperate. "Of course this would happen! I should've known!"

"Are you involved in this?" Patamon inquired, glaring at Agumon.

"Vamdemon didn't tell me anything! As far as I knew, he was locked in his chamber, moping!" Agumon replied.

The torches illuminating the hall were blown, leaving them in complete darkness. The floor trembled and broke apart. Takeru could feel the piece of floor he was standing on being lifted in high speed, which made him lose his balance. Luckily, Picodevimon grabbed the boy by the shirt and they both remained on the rising piece of rock.

"PATAMON!" The child called.

"TAKERU!" Patamon's voice was becoming increasingly distant, until it could no longer be heard.

After a few minutes, Takeru and Picodevimon found themselves in a small empty room with no windows, illuminated by a pair of torches. In front of them, there was a pair of huge wooden doors.

"It's Vamdemon's chamber…" Picodevimon said, trembling in terror. "He's going to punish me! I shouldn't have come here! I shouldn't have betrayed him! I was stupid! Stupid!"

"Calm down!" Takeru told him, holding the digimon's face with both hands. "I won't let that guy do anything to you, okay?"

"What do you think you can do against Vamdemon?!" Picodevimon cried. "I could never escape him!"

"You don't need to escape him anymore." The boy said. "It was your decision to come here and help us. You chose to be brave and do the right thing, despite your fear. Don't you see, Picodevimon? That guy no longer has power over you!"

The digimon stared at him for a while, without saying anything. He slowly calmed himself down.

"Do you really think I'm brave?" Picodevimon asked, shyly.

"Of course I do!" Takeru assured.

"My friends were brave… they died…"

"I'm sorry about that." The boy muttered.

"But they never ran." The digimon said. "Until the end, they did what they believed in. They were honorable…"

"So are you." Takeru told him. "Someone without honor wouldn't have done what you did for us."

"Maybe I'm just an idiot…"

"Everybody is an idiot sometimes." Takeru smirked, earning a smile from the other. Then, they looked at the doors.

"Vamdemon is waiting for us inside." Picodevimon informed. "He must've prepared his chamber to terrorize us."

"Underestimating us, huh?" The boy muttered, approaching the doors. He pushed them open and they both entered the badly lit chamber.

Velvet curtains covered the walls and windows. A few candles suspended in mid-air were the only source of light. A couple of meters in front of them, there were a large table covered by a white sheet with golden drawings and three armchairs: two on their side of the table and the other at the opposite side. On the table, there was a crystal ball. Takeru could spot his brother, Sora, Piyomon and Gabumon in it, surrounded by darkness.

"An orb…?" He wondered in loud voice, getting closer to the object.

"Vamdemon uses crystal balls to spy on others." Picodevimon explained. "He must've trapped them in a subjective dimension generated by magic."

"Indeed!" A thunderous voice came from above. Vamdemon slowly descended from the ceiling, wrapped in his red cape. He landed at the other side of the table and grinned at them. "I had time to study that brother of yours and noticed his gloomy nature. Those four are imprisoned in a dimension fueled by his negativity! They won't get out unless you do as I say!"

"What do you want?" Takeru asked, not intimidated.

"You'll make the Bloody Lord evolve and order him to kill the bearer of love!" Vamdemon ordered.

"I'll never do that!" Takeru declared, clenching his fists.

Picodevimon stared at the boy in horror. Openly opposing Vamdemon was a terrible idea.

"Don't you understand the position you're in?" The vampire asked. "I can crush that dimension and kill your brother! I can let him rot there forever! You must obey me if you want to see that boy again!"

"Y-You would h-have to bring Patamon here first!" Picodevimon said. "He has to be near his partner to e-evolve!"

Vamdemon glared at the tiny monster, making him shriek.

"Do you think you can trick me into bringing the Bloody Lord to this chamber?" The vampire inquired. "I know you're making that up!"

Vamdemon punched the table. Startled, Picodevimon took a step backwards quickly and fell on his back.

"You're so pathetic!" The vampire snarled. "I scare you to your core! And yet you rebel against me? Once this is over, I'll have maggots to slowly eat you alive! And then, I'll heal you and have them eat you again! I'll repeat that until you learn your lesson! Nobody can ever oppose me! Do you understand, you coward?!"

Takeru watched as tears formed in Picodevimon's eyes and his tiny body trembled while Vamdemon laughed at the other's panic. The boy could feel rage boiling in his heart.

"You're the coward here, Vamdemon!" Takeru stated. The vampire stopped paying attention to the child level digimon to glare at Takeru.

"Do you realize who is in front of you now, kid?" He inquired in an imposing voice, circling the table to get closer to the boy.

Takeru didn't move from where he was standing. He kept looking into Vamdemon's eyes, defiantly.

"You paralyzed Garudamon and attacked Sora-san while she was defenseless." Takeru reminded him. "You took my brother as a hostage and ran away because you were scared of Sora-san over a dumb prophecy!"

"MY PROPHECY ISN'T DUMB!" Vamdemon shouted, clenching his fists. "Since I was young, I knew I was destined for greatness. When nobody believed me, when I was belittled and laughed at, I found peace in knowing everybody was beneath me! I never doubted myself! I will rule the human world!"

Takeru stared at him, astonished. For so long, the boy had been terrified of change. Changes meant that he would lose something, be it his family, his best friend or his innocence. Takeru tried to avoid them or to minimize their impact. He reached out to those who slipped away from him; he fought the new and darker aspects of his personality that had been emerging. Even when willing to adapt to new circumstances, Takeru still clung to any stability he could find in his life. The future and the transformations it would bring scared him.

However, in that moment he was looking at someone who had never changed, a stagnant monster who had stubbornly held onto his delusions and couldn't accept that things could be different from what he believed, to the point of relishing in cruelty against anyone that defied his world view. The perfect level digimon threatening him was certainly the most pathetic creature he had ever met.

"You don't even understand how pitiful you are, do you?" Takeru asked.

"What?!" Vamdemon shouted.

"Be careful, you don't know what he's capable of!" Picodevimon warned the boy.

"I can tear you in pieces!" The vampire told the child. "I can bring upon you pain that you never imagined was possible!"

"That's all you do, isn't it?" Takeru asked, coldly. "You use violence against those you consider weaker than you. Deep down, you must know that you're not worthy of respect, so you resort to scaring others into submission. And you make them repeat the lies you tell yourself every day, because you're the one that needs to be convinced the most that you're not just some sad and lonely coward that wants validation!"

Vamdemon grabbed Takeru by the neck and lifted the boy to his eyes' level.

"Say that again!" Vamdemon ordered, tightening his grip and making the child grasp for air. "You're nothing but a weak little kid! Your only option is to succumb under my power and do as I say!"

A syringe pierced Vamdemon's arm, which forced him to release Takeru. Picodevimon, flying a couple of feet away, shot more ten syringes at the vampire.

"Back in Aurora Town, I let Etemon know about your plan to blow up the stage, so he could save that chosen child girl!" Picodevimon screamed. "I knew I'd be punished, but I did it anyway! Earlier today, I saw another chosen child and hid that information from you! I stopped you from killing Gabumon! I stopped you from harming the bearer of love and made my way back to your lair to help your enemies! Don't you dare look down on me or Takeru because of our size or our power! We're stronger than you in ways that you could never comprehend!"

Vamdemon stumbled back while glaring at the bat digimon and the boy who was getting back on his feet.

"You'll pay for this! You'll regret this!" He yelled. "I'LL MAKE YOU BOTH BEG FOR MERCY!"

"We're not afraid of you!" Takeru stated. "We're going to defeat you and take my brother and our friends back!"

"YOUR BROTHER IS MY PRISONER!" Vamdemon howled. "THE TRAP HE'S IN IS BUILT ON HIS NEGATIVE EMOTIONS! HE'S NEVER GETTING OUT OF THERE UNLESS I ALLOW IT!"

"Onii-chan will overcome it!" Takeru affirmed. "He might be stubborn and complicated, but he's strong and intelligent! He'll find his way out of that place!"

It wasn't too late for Yamato to learn, just like it wasn't for Takeru. Changes didn't have to be always bad. They allowed people to rethink their worldviews, correct their mistakes and strive to be better people. The future didn't have to be frightening.

Takeru's crest shone so brightly that Vamdemon was forced to close his eyes. The pendant floated from under the boy's shirt. The child took his digivice from his pocket and held it in his hand. The rock emanating yellow light was absorbed into the small machine.

"Someone like you, Vamdemon, can't do anything against those willing to grow up!" Takeru stated.

* * *

A couple of minutes later, the torches lit themselves. Patamon and Agumon were alone in the hall. The mammal monster flew around, but all exits had been closed.

"Damn it!" Patamon cried, kicking a wall. "Takeru and the others were all captured! Because of me… everything that happened was because of my selfishness!"

Agumon stared at him, astonished.

"From what I heard about you, I thought you were a heartless demon…" He said. "But you actually care about that human, don't you?"

"Until recently, I didn't remember who I used to be." Patamon explained. "When I did learn about my past, first I tried to convince myself that I wasn't that digimon anymore. Then, the guilt ate me from the inside out… I couldn't stand that agony and just wished for it to end… but Takeru didn't give up on me. I can't give up on him now!"

"All we can do is to wait to see what happens." Agumon said.

"I can't just sit and wait when Vamdemon might be harming Takeru!" Patamon protested.

"I doubt that guy would lay a finger on your partner." Agumon told him. "He's always been terrified of you."

The other looked down. Suddenly, yellow light came from the cracks on the ceiling.

"This… is Takeru's…" Patamon murmured as that light wrapped him. He was connected to his partner and knew how to get to him. "I'm coming, Takeru!"

* * *

Sora, Yamato, Gabumon and Piyomon stopped falling. They were floating in a dark space. When the bird monster flapped her wings, she couldn't move from her spot next to Sora. The girl tried to make her evolve, but her digivice didn't react. Piyomon shot an attack upwards; her fire hovered a few meters above their heads.

A couple of meters in front of Piyomon and Sora, Gabumon floated next to Yamato. The digimon looked with concern at the boy. Yamato was staring at his arms extended in front of him, with horror. It was possible he was thinking about how he had nearly lost an arm, but far, far more likely he was worried about Takeru.

"This place…" Piyomon murmured, shivering. "It reminds me of the orb…"

"It's going to be okay!" The girl promised, extending an arm to caress the bird's head. "We're together! We've escaped from a place like this before! As long as we have each other, we'll be fine!"

Piyomon nodded reluctantly.

"Takeru…" Yamato murmured, looking at the void below with empty eyes. "I couldn't do anything to protect him… I never could… "

"Don't be so hard on yourself!" Gabumon told him, stretching an arm in the boy's direction. However, Yamato got out of his reach. The boy's body was slowly descending, sinking into the darkness.

"Yamato-kun!" Sora shouted, getting no reply from him. She tried to go after him, but kept floating in the same spot. What was happening to Yamato? Where was he going? The girl remembered Koushiro's explanation about the orb being a subjective space affected by her emotions. If the place they were in was similar to that orb, Yamato's negativity could bring him a dire result.

"Piyomon, can you push me in Yamato-kun's direction?" Sora asked.

"If I do that, you'll be out of my reach! How would I get you back?!" Piyomon questioned.

"I need to get to Yamato-kun!" Sora retorted. "He'll be in danger if I do nothing!"

"You could be in danger if I launch you in that direction!" Piyomon protested. "We don't know where we are or what will happen if you go down there!"

"That's exactly why I can't let Yamato-kun out of my sight!"

"Don't do this to me again!" The bird digimon pleaded. "Don't make me watch as you sacrifice yourself for someone else again! I can't… I…"

"Piyomon…" Sora muttered, pulling her partner into a hug. "It's not like that time. I don't want to help him because I think it's my duty, because I want to prove something or because of my self-loathing. I won't do that again! I promise I'll never put you through that again!"

"But if you go-"

"I'll come back with him!" She vowed. "There's a person lost in destructive thoughts in need of someone to help him out. Someone who demands too much of himself… who blames himself a lot, who feels responsible for everything and doesn't share his burden with anyone… who buries his fears… his insecurities…"

Takeru had told the girl that she reminded him of Yamato. Despite knowing the older boy for less than one day, Sora had already understood so much about him. First, she thought she could be projecting herself on him, but then realized it wasn't the case. The reason for her to see so much of herself in Yamato was because they did share some core personality aspects, including flaws. And it was because of what Sora learned from her experiences with her friends and family that she didn't want anyone else following that painful path. She wanted to help Yamato for his own sake.

"Alright, then… but you have to come back to me!" Piyomon said. "Promise you'll come back to me!"

"That's not a reasonable request." Gabumon commented.

"I'll come back to you, Piyomon." Sora told her partner, breaking the hug to show her a reassuring smile. "We'll all be fine and get out of here."

Piyomon grabbed the girl and launched her in Yamato's direction.

Yamato was sinking into the dark void, but didn't notice it. He couldn't see anything around him. His mind wandered through his past.

His parents argued many times, but there were occasions when they got along. They talked normally, his father told jokes, his mother and Takeru laughed at them, Yamato smiled. He believed that was the true nature of their family. His parents could disagree, but they loved each other and would make amends. Yamato tried to make things easier for them. He helped in the house chores, asked his mother to teach him how to cook so he could help her out, and watched Takeru when his parents were busy.

He didn't ask for help with his homework or anything else. He didn't bother his parents with his problems in getting along with the other children in his class. Yamato strove to be as independent as possible. He wanted to be reliable like a grown-up, not only because then his parents wouldn't worry about him, but also because if Takeru perceived him as a mature and strong person, the little boy would seek his help instead of their parents'. That way, his father and mother wouldn't be troubled. The thought of sacrificing himself for them made him feel proud of himself.

Yamato also felt satisfaction when Takeru asked him to play along. The kid was happy, but sometimes talked to him about his concerns. The older brother assured him that everything would be alright. For a time, Yamato really believed in that. When his parents argued and Takeru cried on his lap, Yamato said that the adults would make peace with each other and their family would be together forever. The older brother was doing his part; everything should work out in the end. His words soothed Takeru, who thanked him.

But things didn't work out in the end. When Yamato noticed it, he was standing between the two adults with a crying Takeru by his side. His parents were getting a divorce, his father was moving away, his family was breaking into two: Ishida and Takaishi. Yamato didn't want his father to be alone, nor did he want Takeru to be away from his mother. So, he did the mature thing, again, and he kept doing it, without complaining. Not certain if it was out of obligation or out of habit, Yamato just knew that he had to sacrifice himself for their happiness. He wouldn't let his mother think he needed her, he wouldn't worry her.

Did Takeru think he was a liar when their parents divorced? Was Takeru disappointed at him for not stopping that from happening? Was he lonely without him around?

His father worked all day, every day. Many times, Hiroaki didn't even come home. Other times, he came and spoke incoherent things with a sad expression. The man didn't joke anymore. Instead, he told his son to be sure not to fall for someone incompatible with him. Hiroaki at times went to smoke on the balcony and looked at the street while bearing a lost expression. The boy knew he should be in pain, but didn't know what to say to him. Nevertheless, he did everything to take care of his father. He cleaned, cooked and watched TV with him. However, they didn't talk much.

Yamato didn't talk a lot to Natsuko when she brought Takeru over. Hiroaki seemed sad with her presence, what if seeing Yamato interacting with her was painful to the man? Besides, Yamato didn't want to give his mother the impression that he wasn't doing great without her. What if she noticed something and became worried? She shouldn't worry about him. Nobody should. Yamato still wanted them to think of him as mature and strong.

Most of his days were lonely. He played the harmonica, saw old photos, cooked, despite being unable to imitate his mother's food. It became easier with time. Yamato hid his sadness so well that nobody noticed it. He should be proud of that, like he should be proud of his brother for surviving without him in the Digital World and for risking himself for the sake of rescuing Yamato. Takeru was the youngest child, in need of being protected. But in reality he was far stronger and braver than his older brother. The older brother's sacrifices weren't necessary. They weren't needed, they weren't wanted. What was the point of all that, then?

What was the point of him?

"Yamato-kun!"

That was Sora's voice calling him. An increasing warm sensation was spreading over his hands.

"Don't say such sad things, Yamato-kun!" She told him in a pained tone. Was he saying things aloud without noticing?

"Takeru-kun loves you a lot! Things aren't as bad as you believe!" Sora insisted.

"It doesn't matter." Yamato said, staring into the darkness surrounding him. "He shouldn't love me… nobody should… I'm such a disappointment…"

"No, you're not!" She stated. "I might not have known you for long, but I know that you're a caring person and that you put other people's needs before your own! And that you try to keep a façade of being well-adjusted, so people won't worry about you…" Sora's voice became weaker. "You built a wall around your heart and tried to keep everybody away. You didn't want anyone to see you crumbling in the inside, drowning in your self-deprecating thoughts… because you're afraid of what they'd think if they saw who you really are."

Yamato now realized that the warmth on his hands were the girl's own trembling ones, holding him tightly. In his front, the silhouette of someone very close to him was slowly taking shape.

"How do you know…?" He asked in a whisper. "I t-thought I had hidden it… does e-everybody see through me as well? Does Takeru…?" It was getting harder for him to hold back the tears.

"For a long time, I believed that my parents… especially my Mom…" Sora hesitated for a few seconds. "She's an Ikebana Master and I was supposed to be her heiress, but I didn't want to be that. I thought Mom didn't really love me… I made her into an enemy that I wanted to hate… I forced myself to be everything I thought she wasn't, but the truth was that… I couldn't deal with the idea that I was a disappointment to her. To think that she didn't love me hurt so much, I continuously lied to myself… and kept on hurting myself and the people who cared about me. I felt so guilty… so ashamed…"

"But you're strong!" Yamato protested, almost outraged. "I heard what you did for Takeru and the others! You put yourself in danger to lure that vampire away from us not long ago! You're not… you can't be…"

She couldn't be both strong and fragile, virtuous and flawed, brave and scared… people weren't like that. If you were one thing, you couldn't be its opposite. Yamato knew that. But if it was possible, if those things weren't mutually excluding… what would that make of him?

"My friends helped me to see that I wasn't the despicable person I thought I was." Sora said. "Because I understood how my way of thinking distorted reality, I considered that I could be wrong about my Mom. I talked to her about everything and she was honest with me. I finally understood how she felt and how deeply she loved me, I was so glad!"

"Are you two getting along now?" Yamato asked. "After everything… was it still possible for you two…?"

"It's never too late when there's love." Sora assured.

Yamato wondered if his mother and he could have that as well. If he talked to her honestly, if he told her how much she mattered to him and how much he missed her, would she accept him? His mother could get worried… his father could not like it… would that be okay? Would they forgive him?

His thoughts were getting clearer after Sora's words. Maybe it was time for Yamato to do something for himself.

"Maybe… I could call my mother…" He whispered.

"You should." She encouraged him.

He could no longer stop the tears from escaping his eyes.

"It's okay to cry." Sora told him. "It'll make you feel better."

A flaming aura surrounded Sora, allowing Yamato to see her completely. She was giving him a large and beautiful smile. The flames kept on spreading, bringing light to every corner. Above them, Piyomon was flying. Fire surrounded her.

"Piyomon evolves to… BIRDRAMON! Birdramon evolves to… GARUDAMON!"

The giant digimon took Gabumon in one hand and then flew down to take Sora and Yamato in the other.

"Are you okay?" Gabumon asked him.

"I guess…" Yamato muttered, glancing at Sora, who was by his side while Garudamon flew upwards. The sight of the girl with fire in her spirit ascending to the heavens would never leave his memory.

Soon, Garudamon broke into the hall where Agumon was. There was a hole on the ceiling large enough to fit an adult.

"Where's Takeru?" Yamato asked.

"He was taken away, but his partner went after him." Agumon informed.

"Did Patamon open that hole?" Sora inquired.

"No." The yellow dinosaur replied. "Angemon did it."

* * *

Still blind by the crest's light, Vamdemon walked back until he hit the wall. He didn't understand how any of that could happen. Two weak beings like them should be scared of him. But they weren't, against all odds. They showed courage and determination in face of adversity. If they were capable of that, why wasn't Vamdemon capable of opposing Holyangemon in that fateful day of his childhood? Why didn't he rebel against the angel during the centuries he spent as the other's servant? Why did he follow a different angel afterwards?

He was being smart! He was seizing the best opportunities! His way of doing things had to be the right one! If it wasn't like that, if he had spent his life lying to himself about the glorious future he would have, if he wasn't truly special and fated to greatness… then, who would he be? Simply an ordinary coward? He couldn't accept that! He had to destroy anyone that suggested that!

Suddenly, the floor was broken; Angemon flew from the hole into the room.

"Your feelings reached me, Takeru." Angemon said. "Your heart showed me the way!"

"We're finding the way together." Takeru told him. "Let's continue to push each other forward until the end."

The yellow light that had been spread in all directions was absorbed by the adult level digimon.

"Angemon super evolves to… HOLYANGEMON!"

Vamdemon felt his knees getting weak when he saw that angel pointing a sword at him again. His reflection on the blade made the vampire's terror undeniable.

"Surrender." Holyangemon ordered. "I have Takeru's power flowing through me. There's no hope for you to defeat me, Vamdemon."

"NO!" Vamdemon screamed, landing a punch on the angel's cheek. The direct contact with a digimon bearing holy powers was painful to him, but Vamdemon couldn't stop himself. He hadn't gone through everything just to be humiliated by the same monster twice.

Holyangemon made a movement with the sword that pushed the vampire back, broke the wall behind him and wiped away the residual mist on the outside. Floating in the night sky, Vamdemon launched his most powerful attacks against Holyangemon, who reflected them all at him. The vampire's sight was getting blurred. Aside from the new injuries, the poisoned syringes Picodevimon had shot earlier were still stuck on his arms and torso.

 _I can't just lose here!_ Vamdemon thought, trying to figure out a way for him to survive. Half of his room had been blown away. Holyangemon was facing him from there. A few steps behind the angel, Takeru and Picodevimon were watching.

 _That kid is the source of his power! I just have to kill that child!_

Vamdemon flew in Takeru's direction as fast as he could, passing by Holyangemon's side. Picodevimon positioned himself in front of the boy.

 _I'll kill them both!_ Vamdemon decided, stretching his right arm in their direction. But he was suddenly stopped.

Holyangemon stabbed him in the back, impaling the vampire's chest with his sword and sending him to the floor. With his heart ripped apart, Vamdemon bled profusely. All he could see from where he was were Takeru's feet. Was that his end? He would die without even fulfilling his prophecy? Without being able to harm his enemy and have revenge?

He was dying pointlessly in an utterly pathetic way. That couldn't be the fate of someone special. Then, everything he believed in was wrong. He had wasted his entire life.

"It didn't have to end like this." Holyangemon said, taking the sword out. "How pitiful."

Vamdemon's body was turned into data particles that floated towards the dark clouds above.

Not long after that, the entire tower trembled with violence and began to fall apart. Holyangemon picked Takeru up and flew, with Picodevimon by his side. From the remains of Vamdemon's room, Garudamon emerged breaking through the floor, holding Sora, Yamato, Gabumon and Agumon in her hands.

"TAKERU!" Yamato called, standing up with his arms open and a huge smile. Holyangemon descended to Garudamon's hand, where he let go of his partner. Takeru and Yamato hugged each other.

"What about Vamdemon?" Sora asked.

"He was killed by Holyangemon." Picodevimon informed her, landing on Garudamon's hand while watching the tower collapsing into the ocean.

"The prophecy was wrong, then?" Garudamon inquired.

"He died in the human world." Holyangemon said. "It'd take a miracle for him to return."

Sora felt something cold touching her forehead and looked up. Snow started to fall.

* * *

With the increasing snow, the curious people on the street headed back to their apartments. Jyou, Mimi and their partners took shelter at the entrance of the building where Hiroaki and Yamato lived. The parents had already finished talking by the time they went in.

Hiroaki lit a cigarette as he observed the snow, which he now knew to be a manifestation of a sadistic computer program from the world his younger son had visited. Wanting to take his mind away from what his children were going through, he attempted to make small talk with the Tachikawas:

"You two seem to be a happy couple."

"Our marriage is very happy indeed!" Satoe told him.

"We're each other's soul mates." Keisuke added.

"That must be nice." Hiroaki muttered. "I once thought I could have something like that with my ex-wife… nowadays, it's hard for me to even talk to her."

"But the two of you have children, you need to talk to each other." Keisuke pointed out.

"That's right!" Satoe agreed. "The happiness of your children should be your priority."

"I'm as terrible as a father as I was as a husband, I guess…" Hiroaki sighed.

"Then, you'll have to work to at least be a better parent." Satoe told him.

They heard the sound of something heavy landing on the street and went outside. A giant creature with wings was carrying Hiroaki's sons, a girl with orange hair and four monsters. Takeru, holding a small white creature with big teeth, jumped first to the ground, being followed by Yamato and a horned monster. Sora jumped at last; her partner then became a smaller pink bird.

"Are you that Gabumon?" Jyou asked.

"Yes, nice to see you again." Gabumon greeted. "I'm going to stay with Takeru and Yamato tonight."

"Now there's another digimon? Is he Yamato's?" Hiroaki asked.

"Onii-chan isn't a chosen child, but he befriended Gabumon." Takeru explained.

"Excuse me…" Picodevimon approached Mimi. "Agumon is already staying with Sora and I need a place to spend the night… if you could be kind enough…"

"Of course you can stay with me!" Mimi told him, grinning. "We have things to talk about, after all!"

"Thank you!" Picodevimon said, beaming at her.

"We should be going home, now, it's kind of late. Do you kids want a ride home?" Satoe offered.

"Thank you very much!" Sora accepted the offer, knowing that her partner was tired.

"I came in my bike, so I should-" Jyou began to say.

"You're not going to ride under this snow!" Gomamon forbade him. "Don't you remember what happened to Koushiro?"

"Did something happen to Koushiro-kun?" Sora asked, worried.

"He's okay now." Jyou assured her. "But it'd be better if you heard from him what happened during our meeting tomorrow."

"Okay, then…" The girl muttered.

"Hey, you." Hiroaki approached Sora. "What's your name?"

"Takenouchi Sora." She introduced herself, a bit nervous because of the serious look the man gave her.

"I'm Ishida Hiroaki. Thank you for taking care of my boys." He said, slightly bowing to her.

"Y-You don't have to…" Sora stuttered, feeling blood rushing to her face. "They're my friends! It was the least I could do!"

"You… consider me a friend?" Yamato asked, surprised.

"Of course I do, Yamato-kun!" Sora replied, smiling brightly at him.

Yamato looked away and scratched his head.

"I think of you as my friend as well." He whispered. Yamato looked into her eyes again before adding: "Thank you, Sora."

"You don't have to thank people for befriending you, Grumpy face-san." Mimi teased him.

"Stop calling me that already!" Yamato demanded.

Jyou and Keisuke managed to attach the boy's bike to the roof of the car. Soon, the couple, along with the three children and four digimon parted. Hiroaki took his sons, Tokomon and Gabumon to the apartment.

* * *

"I have so many things to tell you, Papa!" Takeru said, pulling his father to the living room's table, where the child placed his partner.

Gabumon was about to take a seat, but noticed that Yamato quietly made his way to the corridor. The digimon hesitated for a few minutes, but then decided to follow him. He found the older boy sitting on the bed in one of the bedrooms, holding an object close to his face. Yamato seemed nervous about something. Gabumon was about to enter the bedroom, but stopped when the boy began to talk.

"Hi, Mom. It's me, Yamato."

Gabumon hid himself behind the wall for some reason. He didn't want to peek, but couldn't resist.

"Everything is alright… kind of…" Yamato continued. "I…"

The boy sounded unsure about what to say. Gabumon took a look and noticed that the other was shaking.

"I miss you, Mom…" Yamato murmured. "I miss you!" He repeated in a louder tone. "I'm sorry for… no, I want to apologize! I've been stupid, so stupid!"

A couple of tears were forming in the boy's eyes. Gabumon was getting worried about him. Then, suddenly, Yamato smiled.

"I would like that…" The boy said. "I… I love you too, Mom."

* * *

Away from there, Wizarmon was standing on a glowing magical circle he had drawn on a building's roof, holding his staff with both hands towards the sky.

"It began to snow again." Tailmon told him, a few steps from where he was standing. "It's going to mess with your spell like before."

"I've finished already." Wizarmon said. "My large scale search for Hikari's image in people's minds worked. I know where she is!"

"Really…?"

The cat digimon felt like crying, but was able to hold back her tears. After so many years of struggles, after everything Kanda had put her through, the dream that was her sole consolation in those harsh times was at her grasp at last.

"Let's go now, Tailmon!" Wizarmon offered her a hand. "It's time for you to meet your partner!"


	35. The cat and the wizard

**Chapter 35: The cat and the wizard**

It was said that after the creation of the world, Fate made an island emerge from the depths of the ocean, far away from the continents and the other islands, and named it "World's End." The Great Spirit created adult and perfect level monsters to inhabit the island. They were the first digimon.

Fate shared knowledge with them, allowing them to know that on the day Light would be born, Light's partner would come to World's End as an egg descending from the sky. The digimon from that island were to protect and raise Light's partner, in order to prepare her to one day aid the savior of the Digital World.

The digimon from that island, led by a perfect level fox priestess called Taomon, built a temple in honor of Light, whom they believed was a goddess equal to Fate. They waited for the arrival of the egg for thousands of years, and one beautiful, starry night, it happened. The egg descended from the sky enveloped by a beam of white light and gently landed in the main part of the temple, where there was no roof. Along with the egg came a small machine and a pendant in which there was a rock with a drawing that resembled an asterisk.

They painted that symbol on every wall of the temple. Every day and every night, the egg was worshipped, which didn't stop after it hatched. The little digimon born from that egg learned of her holiness before learning how to talk. Once she evolved to Nyaromon, she pronounced her first word:

"Hikari."

"Correct." Taomon told her, caressing the small monster on the staircase of the temple, from where they could see the whole island and the dawn breaking. "You are the partner of the Goddess Light, who will come to save this world one day."

"It's her name." Nyaromon said. "It's what everybody calls her."

"You… had contact with her?" Taomon asked, amazed.

"I think so, but I wasn't able to see her." Nyaromon replied.

"Then, you must work on your spirituality!" Taomon decided. "You must meditate and try to reach Light. I'll spread the word that nobody is allowed to distract you from it."

Because of Taomon's decision, Nyaromon was left alone most of the time, in order to meditate. When someone came by, they were as laconic as possible towards her. She tried to start conversations but nobody cooperated. The fox digimon censored Nyaromon for trying to deviate from her duty.

"I'm lonely." Nyaromon used to say. All she wished was to have someone who would have real conversations with her, someone who would understand her feelings.

"Light is always with you." Taomon said back. "She's the only one you must connect with."

Sometimes, in her dreams, Nyaromon could listen to a baby crying and other people calling her "Hikari." She couldn't see the child, but only discern her as a spot of pink light surrounded by darkness. Nyaromon called for her and ran after her, but could never reach the baby. She got more frustrated as time passed, as she saw Hikari as the only one who could free her from solitude.

Hikari would be her friend. They would talk, play and laugh together. Nyaromon lived for the hope of meeting that girl.

She took centuries to evolve to Plotmon. In her dreams, she observed as Hikari slowly grew up. By the time Plotmon began her combat training, the child enveloped by light could already walk and speak a few words. The digimon called her amidst the darkness. To her surprise, Hikari, still hidden in light, sometimes turned in her direction. She felt they could finally meet, but there was someone who stopped that from happening. That person, whom the girl called "Onii-chan," was always by Hikari's side and told her that there was nothing there when she tried to reach Plotmon. The little monster grew to resent that person.

Plotmon wondered if the girl really knew about her and wished to meet her as well. Would Hikari like the monster? Taomon and the other digimon constantly told Plotmon about the important destiny she would fulfill together with Light, but Plotmon wasn't as interested in that as she was in how their relationship would be.

Because she had acquired a holy ring around her neck with her evolution, Plotmon asked Taomon to attach the little machine and the pendant to the golden jewelry. That way, she could feel closer to Hikari, even if it didn't help her to connect with the girl. Every afternoon, the little digimon was trained in combat by Kentarumon and Yukidarumon. At night, Taomon instructed Plotmon on her importance and the History passed down by Fate. The mornings were for her to meditate. Plotmon still tried to engage in conversation with the other inhabitants of the island, but they all only spoke what was necessary. In other words, everything anyone ever talked to her about had to do with practical things or her destiny as the partner of the savior.

Plotmon could only hope it would be different once she met Hikari. The glimpses of the enlightened child gave the digimon a warm sensation in her heart.

At times, she sought space away from the islanders and went to the beach to watch the waves. The rays of sunshine the sand reflected at her didn't bother Plotmon; they were nothing compared to the blinding light that kept Hikari away.

One day, a huge red serpent monster with a golden head carapace and a metallic lightning-shaped horn appeared on that beach, coming from the ocean, which startled Plotmon. He demanded to speak with the ruler of that place. Plotmon was paralyzed by her shock; that was the first time she had ever seen a foreigner. Hundreds of questions raced through her mind, but she wasn't able to ask any of them. In a few minutes, Taomon arrived at the beach.

"This is the sacred land chosen by Fate, you are not allowed here!" Taomon told the sea monster.

"I'm Megaseadramon, chosen King of the sea folk." He introduced himself. "I have an offer for you: become part of my domain."

"We only serve the Spirit of the World and Light." Taomon stated.

"It would be a good opportunity for the population of an isolated island like this to be integrated to a larger community." Megaseadramon told her. "You can keep your autonomy and benefit from-"

"We're not interested!" Taomon roared. With a movement of her hands, she made a brush as big as her appear. "Leave now or may the fury of the gods befall you!"

"You're making a big mistake." Megaseadramon said, turning away and returning to the ocean.

"Why did you send him away?" Plotmon asked the priestess. "Nobody ever comes here! He was just offering-"

"We must not trust anyone outside World's End." Taomon explained. "That digimon could be one of the agents of chaos that you and Light will fight one day to save the world."

"Does the world really need saving?" Plotmon asked, spiteful. "It seems to be doing just fine!"

"You're ignorant to what happens at the outside world." Taomon pointed out.

"So are you!" Plotmon accused.

"Fate shared knowledge with me! I know the dangers that are to come!"

"How can you know that Fate told you the truth?!"

"Don't blaspheme, Plotmon!" Taomon reprehended. "Do you think that your destiny is a lie? That Light-?"

"I know Hikari is real, but what if she's not what you think?!" Plotmon shouted. "Maybe she's not a goddess or a savior! Perhaps, she's just a kid! Nothing more than a little girl!"

"She's so much more than that!" Taomon contested. "And so are you!"

"Why does she have to be more than that?!" Plotmon cried. "Why do I?! Why do we have to be like that? Can't Hikari and I just be friends? Can't we just be normal children? Do we… do we really have to fight some mysterious evil force that is coming?"

"The reason for Light to cross to this world is to save it with you." Taomon reminded her. "Your duty is to serve her and fight for her. Don't deviate from your path because of your petty desires."

As always, Plotmon's feelings were dismissed. To the islanders, she didn't have value as an individual. She was nothing but a tool for Light. In her dreams, she called out for Hikari to come and take her away from that place, but that boy hidden in the shadows kept telling the girl to ignore her. Plotmon once again tried to run towards the child enveloped in pink light, but wasn't able to move from her place. All she could do was cry, never receiving comfort.

Centuries flew by without any change until Megaseadramon returned. Plotmon was instructed to remain in the temple, but she followed Taomon, Kentarumon and Yukidarumon to the beach without them realizing it. The sea monster remained with the lower part of his body in the water as the other half rose from the waves, into the air. On the sand, a small robotic monster inside a metallic round ship with a transparent window looked at the islanders with contempt.

"We told you already that we wouldn't be part of your domain!" Taomon said to Megaseadramon.

"I'm not here as a king, but as a general of Seraphimon." Megaseadramon clarified.

"I'm Seraphimon-sama's right hand, which makes Megaseadramon my subordinate. You should be speaking to me." The robot said. "I am Nanomon."

"It doesn't matter who you are! You are not welcomed here!" Kentarumon shouted.

"Leave immediately, before Fate's ire befalls you!" Yukidarumon threatened.

"So it really is as I was told." Nanomon commented. "You are worshippers of the Spirit of the World who believe this piece of land to be sacred."

"It is sacred! This is the birthplace of the partner of Light, savior of the Digital World!" Kentarumon said.

"Quiet!" Taomon ordered. "Don't reveal anything to these foreigners!"

"Seraphimon-sama is the only savior this world has!" Nanomon stated. "He's the only one that was chosen by Fate!"

"Light was not chosen by Fate! She's its equal!" Yukidarumon raised his voice. "Whoever this Seraphimon is, he's nothing compared to her!"

The robot shivered in cold fury.

"And here I thought you'd be honored to serve Seraphimon-sama…" Nanomon spoke with spite, while turning the round ship on. "Disrespectful lunatics like you deserve no mercy!"

The ship flew to where Megaseadramon was. The red monster looked at the island with sorrow for a few seconds; then, he dove into the water. A few minutes later, the sea retreated.

"He's going to cause a tsunami!" Taomon shouted, making her giant brush appear. She used it to write spells on air and create a magical barrier. However, when the giant wave came and covered it, the barrier began to crack.

Hidden in the woods, Plotmon was terrified. The barrier wouldn't last long; she and everybody else would drown. The digimon shut her eyes closed and cried:

"Hikari! Help!"

She found herself in the familiar dark space; the little girl involved in light was standing a few steps in her front.

"Calling me…" The girl murmured, walking in the digimon's direction.

"Hikari, I've told you already that there's nothing there!" The invisible boy said.

"Someone's afraid! Needs help!" The girl insisted, kneeling in front of Plotmon. Both the pendant and the small machine attached to her holy ring shone when Hikari's hand touched the monster's forehead. Plotmon felt her body filling with a gentle warmth as she was blinded by intense pink light.

"You won't suffer."

Hikari's promise was the last thing she heard before losing consciousness.

After the island disappeared under the ocean, Megaseadramon emerged. Nanomon's ship was floating on the water.

"What a senseless waste of lives." The sea monster lamented.

"They deserved that for disrespecting Seraphimon-sama." Nanomon said.

"Maybe if we had talked to the rest of the islanders-"

"The rulers have the responsibility of choosing what's best for the people under them." Nanomon pointed out. "That's what you did when you swore allegiance to Seraphimon-sama. Not everybody is that smart, though."

Suddenly, a bubble made of pink light came from under the water and floated between the two monsters. Stuck to the walls of the bubble there were a small machine and a pendant containing a rock with the drawing of an asterisk. Inside the sphere, there was an unconscious Tailmon.

Intrigued, Nanomon took the bubble to his laboratory. He wasn't able to take the digimon out of it. Nevertheless, he studied the properties of the mystical rock he would call crest and the machine he would call digivice.

* * *

Wizarmon lived in the dirty alleys of Shooting Star District, the poor part of Sapphire Town, at the South of the Server Continent. Since he had evolved to adult level and gained psychic abilities, it became easier for him to steal valuable objects from the rich without being noticed. Their owners wouldn't get less wealthy, anyway. They would simply buy new stuff and complain about what happened during extravagant meals. If Wizarmon was caught, the law dictated that he was to be executed, like most criminals were, only for new criminals to take their places. Those without luck had to find ways to survive. Meanwhile, statues and paintings of the Bloody Lord were more noticeable and well preserved in the richest parts of the town.

He spent his nights in a tiny apartment in a decaying building, with a Gazimon and an Impmon, his long-time accomplices, where they usually had fun after a day of burglary. It wasn't safe for digimon like them to wander the streets after the sun was down; the police loved to take in anyone they deemed suspicious, which most of the time meant anyone who lived in that neighborhood. Many digimon Wizarmon knew, including those who had never stolen a penny, had been arrested and never seen again. That was such a normal occurrence that he knew it was a mistake to get attached to anyone. Just like it was futile to try to abide to the laws of a system designed against him. The world was a cruel place and there was nothing to do about that.

It was one of those usual nights filled with cheap booze. Wizarmon was almost falling asleep, with his back at the only window in the room, as he tried to hold his set of cards and stop his two companions from seeing it. Out of nowhere, intense white light came from the outside, forcing Gazimon and Impmon to cover their eyes while screaming in pain. Shouts came from all directions. Wizarmon fell forwards while closing his eyes and covering his ears, but the screams didn't stop. He could listen to them in his mind, millions of agonizing voices crying for help.

Several days passed. Impmon and Gazimon slowly recovered; they had more luck than those who had looked directly at the beam of light that had crossed the sky that night, who would never see again. Wizarmon could still hear the screams. He couldn't sleep nor do anything else. During the mornings, he walked aimlessly on the streets, as if trying to escape the voices in his mind. One day, his disorientation became so severe that he didn't notice when the night fell. He tried to find his way back home, afraid that the police would come for him. However, something was different. He couldn't see Seraphimon's paintings anywhere and most of his statues were vandalized. Confused, he asked a passerby what had happened. That was how Wizarmon came to know that the Lady of Infinity Mountain had killed the Bloody Lord after he destroyed the Cloud Continent and corrupted its inhabitants' data.

Desperate to free himself of the cries of the dead, Wizarmon flew to where the Cloud Continent used to be. He didn't have a plan, nor was he thinking clearly; he just wanted to make his torment stop. But it got worse as he got closer to the giant dark sphere hovering in the sky. At some point, the digimon lost himself among the dreadful feelings invading him, as if he had become part of that concentrated mass of pain.

He didn't remember who he was or where he had come from. He sank in darkness, feeling hundreds of hands pulling him in different directions while uncountable voices begged for their misery to end. After what could have been days, he listened to a different voice.

"You're going to be okay now." It said.

When Wizarmon came to himself, he was greeted by silence.

The digimon was in a bed with red silk sheets, in what seemed to be a bedroom inside a mountain. Next to him, there was an ultimate level angel digimon standing. He could listen to a faint sound of rain in the distance.

"Megaseadramon found you floating at the sea nearby the sphere and brought you here." She informed him.

"Here?"

"File Island." She explained. "I performed a spell to help you to control your psychic abilities."

"I never had problems with them before."

"There was never a tragedy like _that_ before."

That angel digimon had the upper part of her face hidden by a helmet. Her skin was pale and her lips trembled.

"Are you the Ofanimon that-?"

"Don't call me by that name!" She ordered. "I don't want anyone calling me how my brother used to!"

"I'm sorry." Wizarmon murmured.

"Why were you heading to that sphere?" The angel asked.

"I just wanted to make the voices stop. I was losing my mind…"

"If that's all you wanted, you won't have to worry anymore." She assured. "You're free to go back to your old life if you wish. Unless…"

"Unless what?"

The angel showed him a small smile as she sat beside him on the bed.

"I'm creating an organization of digimon knowledgeable in magic and with psychic abilities to help to appease the pain of my brother's victims. I'll call it 'Sanctuary.'" She told him.

"I can read minds, but I've never learned magic."

"I can teach you."

"Listen…" Wizarmon hesitated. "I'm not that kind of digimon. I'm not selfless or brave… I'm just a burglar. There are surely others more worthy of learning from you."

The woman took a couple of minutes to respond to that.

"I could've stopped my brother sooner." She said. "Right from the beginning, when he started to talk about the mission Fate had given him, but I didn't. Now, I can't stop thinking about how many lives I could've saved if I hadn't been so passive… everything I'm doing is too little too late. I can still feel his blood drenching me…" Her voice became lower and sadder. "Yet, everybody praises me… I'm called 'savior,' as if none of that was my fault. Do you think you're unworthy because you're a burglar? You're nothing compared to the walking pile of wrongness I am."

"But I heard that you had been chosen by Fate." Wizarmon contested, recalling parts of the conversation he had with that passerby. "If the Great Spirit found worth in you-"

"I was never chosen by Fate." She confessed. "I made that up because I thought it would put the digimon at ease… that it would make them feel hopeful…"

"You're the strongest digimon now, aren't you?" He asked. "Why do you even care about the feelings of others? Why put yourself through that much trouble?"

"You heard _them_ crying, didn't you?" The angel murmured.

"But you can block their voices, right? You don't have to listen to them!"

"That wouldn't make them stop suffering!" She contested. "I can't pretend they're not in pain! I can't allow them to continue in eternal agony!"

"There's no way those souls can be saved!" He stated.

"There has to be a way! I won't stop looking until I find it!"

"Why?!" Wizarmon asked, confused. "What do you gain from that? Is it just to have peace of mind? Just so you won't feel guilty?"

"When someone is hurt, you help." She said, as if stating the obvious. "It's just that, you do what you can to comfort those in need. Why would you have to gain anything from it?"

He wasn't expecting that explanation. Until that point, Wizarmon had believed that life was simply a struggle and that you had to think only about your own survival. That woman's words shook his core.

Wishing to understand her worldview, Wizarmon accepted her offer to be her apprentice. Soon, he became a priest, dedicating his prayers to comfort the corrupted souls. He became one of the best magic users in the Sanctuary, earning the angel's praise. Wizarmon didn't get along well with the other members of the organization, especially with a Monzaemon he found creepy, but didn't mind that. He was there only because of his Queen.

From her, Wizarmon learned things beyond magic. Feelings he didn't know came to be born in his heart. By watching her hard work in not only searching for a way to save the monsters from the Cloud Continent, but also to make the world a fairer and kinder place, he began to believe that she could actually change things, that maybe the world didn't have to be the hopeless Hell he had known for most of his existence.

But the Academy and the chosen children opposed her. For too long, she refused to fight them, seeking a peaceful solution. Wizarmon kept his faith in her. He was sure that she knew best and that she would triumph in the end. But things didn't unfold the way he expected.

He watched, powerlessly, as his Queen was banished to another dimension by the same chosen children she had been merciful towards, surrounded by the souls she had tried so hard to save.

Everything had been a lie and he let himself fall for it, as if he was some moron, as if he hadn't experienced in his everyday life what a harsh place the world really was. That was a truth that would never change; he was at fault for forgetting it and for believing in that foolish angel.

Wizarmon left the Sanctuary after Ofanimon's demise.

He was called "traitor" for that action, as if he was the same as the Monzaemon who stole a book and switched sides. However, their words didn't bother Wizarmon. Only her words ever mattered to him. Her naive but beautiful words were like a glimpse of sunshine in a dark abyss, promising an enlightened world impossible to reach. He would never listen to them again.

But Wizarmon found it hard to bounce back to his old life. He felt empty and numb. The idea that her enemies had won enraged him deeply. Maybe, if he made them pay, somehow, he would no longer be bothered by that hole in his heart. He went to a black market and got his hands on a strong poison. Then, the mage planned an invasion to the main base of the Academy. There would be a party there, where they would feast, sing and dance over their victory against Ofanimon. They wouldn't see him coming.

He could be killed before achieving anything, but it didn't matter. Nothing really did. The same people, the same ideas, the same patterns would keep winning again and again no matter how many people fought to change things. Those grown accustomed to power and privilege would hold tightly to those things until the end of the world. His effort could be futile and make no difference in the big picture, but if Wizarmon could at least ruin one of those monsters' celebrations, if he could instill fear in them for just a few minutes and erase their smug grins, that would have to be enough satisfaction.

He got into the base, unnoticed, and mixed the poison to their food. The members of the Academy attending to the party thought they had destroyed all their enemies and were so happy; believing they were invincible, they weren't careful enough. Wizarmon could actually escape from there alive and maybe be able to kill more Academy agents. After delivering the poison, the mage searched for an exit, but ended in the dungeons, where a human adult wearing a beige kimono was imprisoned.

The man was held by chains that attached his trembling arms and legs to the wall of a cell. He had his head down and kept murmuring things the mage couldn't understand. Wizarmon made a movement with his staff, which caused the iron bars to fall to the ground and break. The human looked up to him; his skin was pale and his red eyes were lifeless.

"Who are you?" The man asked in a husky voice.

"Wizarmon, priest of the Sanctuary." The digimon replied, only then remembering that he wasn't that anymore.

"There are still guys like you around?" The other asked, sounding indifferent. "What was the point of trapping Ofanimon, then?"

The realization of who that human was made Wizarmon's blood boil in his veins.

"You're a chosen child!" The mage shouted, pointing his staff to him.

Wizarmon was standing before one of the culprits of his Queen's defeat. She used to talk about those humans as poor victims of the Academy's manipulation; her mercy for them was what brought her down. In that moment, the mage had the chance to inflict some pain to that person. However, the lack of fear in the other's eyes bothered him.

"The chosen children were killed." The man informed. "I'm just a copy… a thing created by the Academy to power the holy beasts… I was even branded…"

Wizarmon noticed the tattoo on one of the other's hands. Small tears were being formed in the man's eyes, but he didn't cry. The digimon wasn't able to look into his mind for some reason.

"They used to call me 'sweet little Kanda,' you know?" He muttered. "I was the bearer of love… the one who worried the most about them… I took it upon myself to take care of them… but all I could do was to watch my friends die…" A couple of tears rolled from his eyes. "Now they're things too… we're objects to be used by the Academy… to protect a world that isn't ours. We can't escape… we can't fight back…"

Wizarmon felt his heart sinking. Despite not being able to see into the other's mind, it was easy to recognize in his eyes desperation as deep as the ocean. Kanda was someone who had given up on expecting anything good from the world. The digimon could no longer see an enemy in front of him, but someone broken beyond repair, someone for whom he could feel sympathy. Because of that, he made an offer.

"Would you like revenge?" Wizarmon inquired. "I've poisoned almost everybody in this base, but there might still be someone left for you to kill."

"Nanomon." The other said as a spark of fury appeared in his eyes. "I want to kill that demon with my own hands… and be the last thing he'll ever see."

Kanda showed him a malevolent smile as the mage freed him from the chains. The artificial human stumbled over and picked up a piece of a metal bar. Later, Wizarmon found Nanomon and Gennai for him. The first escaped; the other was turned into a bloody puddle by Kanda's hands.

* * *

Kanda turned the camera in his new office off, once his first announcement as "Gennai" was made, accusing Nanomon of treason and mass murder. In that moment, Wizarmon, hidden in a corner, believed them to be alone in the main base. Kanda shared with him his plans of taking control of the Academy and to later destroy it from the inside out. The mage didn't have any place to go nor did he have a purpose to fulfill. Therefore, he stayed with Kanda.

Wizarmon didn't believe in anything anymore. Only by causing pain and destruction he could be distracted of his emptiness. Kanda talked about destroying the Sanctuary as well, which didn't earn a reaction from the digimon. Ofanimon was gone anyway; that organization didn't mean anything to him without her. Wizarmon tried to convince himself that following and believing in Ofanimon had been nothing but a huge mistake. Nevertheless, his heart still ached when he thought about her.

They found Nanomon's laboratory and his research on memory mirrors. Kanda had the idea of using them to put the Academy members under his control. He also retrieved a crack in space and time that was left behind after Ofanimon's banishment. One day, the artificial human would break all those mirrors and end that institution once and for all. The crack, that only he knew how to destabilize, would be used for him to end himself. Those ideas didn't thrill Wizarmon, but he didn't oppose them. The mage felt like he was just going through the motions of life, not thinking too deeply about anything, incapable of caring. Wizarmon wished there was a way to free himself from that numbness.

There was a secured computerized door in Nanomon's laboratory, which took a long time for Kanda and Wizarmon to break through. Once they managed to open it, they found inside a huge computer. Its screen was as large as the digimon's body; it had an average size keyboard, seven huge metallic boxes that reached the tall ceiling were connected to it. Behind the computer, there was a glowing pink bubble that had a digivice and a pendant containing a crest encrusted in its walls. Several cables were stuck to the sphere and the little objects attached to it. While Kanda went to the computer to figure out what all that was, Wizarmon approached the ball. He could discern a Tailmon sleeping inside it.

The sight of someone trapped in a sphere evoked bad memories in him. Without thinking, Wizarmon reached out and touched its warm exterior.

 _"_ _Who are you? Are you alright?"_ He asked in thought. _"_ _Wake up, please!"_

Tailmon suddenly opened her eyes. The light orb cracked and broke down. Wizarmon caught her before she hit the ground, where the crest and the digivice fell.

"Hikari!" She cried, looking around frenetically. "Where is she? She was just here! The wave! What happened?! Where am I?!"

"Please, calm down!" Wizarmon asked, but he wasn't heard by the other. In an attempt to help the cat monster, he established a telepathic link with her. He felt himself being thrown amidst her chaotic stream of memories, coming to know everything that had happened to her. His heart ached for what he saw.

"It's okay! You're safe now!" He assured her as his consciousness returned to his body. "I'm here with you. You don't have to be afraid."

Embraced by him, Tailmon slowly calmed down.

"My island… Nanomon and Megaseadramon… they killed everybody…" The cat said in a pained voice. "They're all dead… everybody I knew…"

"I'm sorry for that." Wizarmon murmured.

"Hikari protected me… I'm alive because of her…" Tailmon added. "I don't know if she knew who I was, but she saved me…"

"That person involved in light… she was human, wasn't she?" Wizarmon asked, glancing at the pendant and the digivice on the floor. "Is there a sixth chosen child?"

"It's not exactly that." Kanda said, getting away from the computer and approaching them. "I've only begun to retrieve information from Nanomon's files, but I can already attest that this digimon is ancient and so is her link with that human girl."

"What are you trying to say?" Wizarmon asked.

"Tell me, Tailmon…" Kanda said, getting close to the cat. "Did you have those objects before meeting Nanomon?"

"I've had them since Fate made my egg descend from the sky." She replied. "They connect me with Hikari. Taomon said she was a goddess that would save the world one day."

The man rolled his eyes at the mentions of deities.

"Fairy tales aside, you seem to be connected with this girl since your existence began. I believe Nanomon studied that connection to create the other digivices and crests." Kanda theorized.

"Then, this Hikari is indeed a sixth child!" Wizarmon stated. "Why wasn't she brought along with you guys?"

"She was still learning how to talk back when she saved me..." Tailmon said. "Maybe she was too young to be brought to the Digital World."

"I have to research further to know more, but this Hikari isn't the sixth child at all." Kanda told them. "She's the first one. The original chosen child, you might say."

"Can I meet her?" Tailmon asked, getting away from Wizarmon. "I've wanted to meet her for my whole life!"

Kanda took almost one minute to reply.

"We'll see about that." He said, smiling. "I'll study more, why don't you take her to rest somewhere else, Wizarmon?"

"Sure." He agreed.

The mage took her to a room that had some beds. She sat on one next to a wall and he sat by her side.

"You were in my mind." She murmured. "I could feel you there."

"I was trying to help." He explained. "Sorry if it was a bad experience."

Tailmon smirked briefly.

"That's the first time anyone has ever apologized to me." She said.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Don't you already know?"

"Yes, but… you might feel better if you talk about it."

"What do you gain from helping me to feel better?" Tailmon asked.

That question made Wizarmon remember a conversation he had with Ofanimon a long time before. Only in that moment, after having lost so much, he understood his former Queen's feelings. He saw in Tailmon someone who needed help and wanted to help her, without expecting anything in return. He didn't want the cat to suffer anymore.

"What do you want to do now that you're free?" He asked.

"Meeting Hikari is everything I've ever wanted." She replied. "I've been always waiting for her, imagining how my life would be after I got to know her…"

"But you don't want to fulfill the destiny you were told about, do you?" Wizarmon questioned. "You don't want to be a warrior, just her friend."

"Is that… selfish of me?" Tailmon asked in low voice, looking down. "I've been taught to think only about what was best for the world, but…"

"I met someone who was like that." Wizarmon mumbled. "She sacrificed herself for the world and only suffered because of it."

"Was she someone important to you?"

The mage didn't answer that question.

"If there's a way for you to meet your Hikari and for the two of you to live a peaceful and happy life together, I'd like to help you with it." He told her.

Tailmon looked up to him with tear brimmed eyes.

"Thank you." She said.

A few days later, an amnesiac Bastemon was brought to the main base of the Academy. Soon, other digimon would arrive. Kanda decided to keep Tailmon a secret and moved her to a secluded room, where he disclosed to her and Wizarmon some information regarding the cat's partner.

"Her name is Yagami Hikari, a girl that was born in February 28th of 1992. She lives in Tokyo with her older brother and parents."

"Have you seen her? Can I see her as well?" Tailmon asked, anxiously.

"I saw some photos, but the files then got corrupted and were lost. Unfortunately." Kanda said. "But don't worry, Tailmon. You'll get to see her when I bring Hikari to this world."

Both the cat and the wizard were startled to hear that.

"What are you planning for Hikari?" Wizarmon asked, seriously.

"I've learned many interesting things from those files." Kanda told them. "The properties of Hikari's crest make me think that she might have more power than any human could in the Digital World."

"You want to make her the 'savior,' just like Taomon and the others!" Tailmon accused.

"I don't believe in saviors, prophecies or any nonsense like that. I'm not stupid." Kanda said. "And it's because I'm not stupid that I can't turn a blind eye to a source of power that can put an end to the Sanctuary once and for all!"

"The Sanctuary was already defeated!" Wizarmon stated.

"Ofanimon is still alive!" The man raised his voice. "She's still coordinating the remains of the Sanctuary from that alternate dimension where she was trapped. I know a merchant that works as my informant. From what he has told me, Ofanimon plans to destroy the world."

"That is not true!" Wizarmon shouted. "A naive, kind-hearted fool like her would never… she'd die a thousand times before doing that!"

"It's a plan named 'Salvation.'" Kanda continued. "I don't know the details, but it involves destroying the Digital World and killing everybody on it to replace it with a new and shiny world of her creation."

"That's awful…" Tailmon muttered.

"He's lying, Tailmon!" Wizarmon yelled. "The Queen would never hurt innocents! He's just trying to manipulate you to fight for him! For his petty revenge!"

The man glared at Wizarmon with an intensity none of the digimon had seen before. His mouth twitched into a joyless smile.

"I believed you were over that silly loyalty towards her." Kanda commented in low voice, looking down at the other. "I hope you're not thinking you can just go back to the Sanctuary after being by my side."

"Nobody knows I've been here!" Wizarmon stated.

"I can make everybody know. I have all the ways for that." The man assured in a cold tone. "And if any funny idea about taking away Tailmon crosses your mind, I'll make sure that every corner of this world hears about the Wizarmon who wants to take down both the Sanctuary and the Academy with a Tailmon designed to surpass Ofanimon. What do you think would happen, huh? How long until her loyalists kill both of you?"

The mage digimon pointed his staff in the man's direction.

"If I just kill you, none of that happens." He said.

"Oh, please!" The other chuckled. "Nanomon wouldn't create a tool that is easy to kill! If the two of us fight, you're the only one who will go down!"

"We can only know for sure if we do it!" Wizarmon spoke in defiance, ready to cast an attack spell.

"Wait!" Tailmon shouted, putting herself between the two. She turned to Kanda. "I just want to know one thing: after Hikari and I defeat Ofanimon, will we be left alone?"

"Tailmon!" Wizarmon felt betrayed.

"After you kill her, you and your partner can live happily ever after as much as I'm concerned." Kanda answered, smiling. "It's really a low price for you to pay."

"We have a deal, then." The cat said.

"Great!" Kanda exclaimed, heading towards the exit. "Starting tomorrow, I'll train you personally. I'll make you the strongest digimon alive, Tailmon. You'll make Hikari proud."

After the man left them alone, Wizarmon threw the staff on the floor in frustration.

"Are you angry at me?" She asked.

"He's just using you to get revenge at someone who did nothing wrong!" The mage shouted, glaring at her. "And you're just going along with it?! You're willing to kill a kind digimon just so you can live with your partner afterwards?! How can you be that selfish?!"

"Ofanimon is special for you, right?" She asked, softly. "The one you cared about and who sacrificed herself?"

"I don't care about her! She's an idiot! She's…" His voice broke while he fought his tears. "I was fine before I met her! I had an uncomplicated life! The world made sense to me and I accepted how things were! But then she had to come along and fill my head with her stupid ideals just to be defeated afterwards! That moron messed me up… she broke me… I should hate her!"

"I won't kill her." Tailmon promised.

"What?" Wizarmon asked, not understanding what the other meant.

"I just need that guy to bring Hikari to me. If I become the strongest digimon, I'll be able to do whatever I want. Hikari and I could flee and nobody would be able to stop us!" Tailmon explained. "If Ofanimon is as kind as you say… if she's that important to you, then I will never harm her. I'm sure Hikari wouldn't want to hurt an innocent either."

Wizarmon was taken aback by Tailmon's determination, immediately regretting calling her selfish. Everything she had ever dreamed about was to meet Hikari. Nevertheless, she came up with a risky plan just to spare Ofanimon, someone she never met, in consideration for his feelings. Wizarmon wondered if he would do the same thing in her situation. He was sure that he didn't deserve her kindness.

"You have a good heart, Tailmon."

"So do you, Wizarmon."

* * *

After a while, Kanda began to send Wizarmon in various missions to locate Otae. One day, after talking to the merchant Wisemon, that man's informant, the mage followed a lead that took him to a pyramid in the middle of a desert. There, he fell for a trap and lost consciousness. When he woke up, Wizarmon was tied to a chair, in front of a wooden table across from Nanomon, who was holding his staff.

"Hello." Nanomon greeted. "Glad you could come."

"Wisemon isn't just Kanda's informant…" Wizarmon muttered.

"You know how merchants are. Always after profit!" The other commented, smirking. "I have a secret camera in the private lab where I had hidden that Tailmon. I saw you taking her out. How is she?"

"You care about your prisoners now? Don't make me laugh!"

"I don't care about her, but her situation concerns me." Nanomon said. "Is Kanda interested in acquiring Yagami Hikari's power?"

The mage realized that he was talking to the only person who was at least as knowledgeable about Tailmon's partner as Kanda was. He loathed Nanomon, but couldn't ignore that opportunity to help the cat.

"What can you tell me about Hikari?" Wizarmon asked, starting to read the other's mind.

"She's extremely dangerous." Nanomon informed. "Besides having a peculiar personality, her crest was made to give her limitless power. The girl almost tore apart the fabric of space-time continuum as an infant when I sunk her partner's island. There's no telling what she could do to the Digital World if she ever came here."

"You're trying to scare me." Wizarmon murmured, despite knowing that wasn't the case. He could see in the other's mind the terror he had for that girl.

"As a former follower of Ofanimon, you should be interested in stopping that child from ever coming here." The robot said. "Removing a 'savior' from the picture is the first thing a conqueror does to take over a land."

"Hikari is an innocent child!" Wizarmon stated. "Don't project your twisted morals on her!"

Nanomon chuckled.

"Have you never heard that ultimate power corrupts ultimately?" He asked. "Her being a child makes it all worse. She could damn the world even without meaning to."

"Tailmon wouldn't let her do that!" Wizarmon contested.

"That cat is nothing but a tool of Light. Her will could easily be overpowered."

"Liar! Tailmon would never… Hikari saved her! She cares for her!"

Nanomon smirked.

"I'm sensing that you care about that Tailmon." The robot said. "I have a proposition for you. I can tell you about a portal to the human world, so you could take Tailmon there. Hikari shouldn't be dangerous in that place; those two could even live there together. In exchange, you'd help me in getting my Academy rid of that filthy clone."

"Do you think I'd help you get back the Academy after everything you've done?!" Wizarmon roared. "If it wasn't for you, the Queen would still be here!"

"She's an evil woman who killed her own brother!"

"Seraphimon was a tyrant! She did that to save the world!"

The two glared at each other for almost two minutes. Then, Nanomon took a deep breath and spoke again:

"Who is more important to you? Tailmon or your former Queen?"

"Why should I have to choose between them?"

"If you take that Tailmon away-"

"If you get the Academy back, what will you do to the Queen?" Wizarmon inquired, seeing the answer in his mind.

Nanomon stayed silent for a brief period.

"There's no point in lying to a psychic." He sighed. "She found a way to communicate with her subjects and is reorganizing the Sanctuary. It's not enough to keep her trapped. Ofanimon must die."

Wizarmon trembled in fury, trying to free himself from the ropes and tear the other apart.

"But Ofanimon is going to die anyway if Yagami Hikari comes here, along with many others." The robot continued. "Your Queen will be killed by your new friend, who will become Light's war machine. If you flee with Tailmon, at least you could be happy with her, away from this messy world. Isn't it better to concede and hold onto a chance of happiness than to cling to a loyalty that can't bring anything good to you?"

Wizarmon remained silent as those words sank in his mind. He knew that the other wasn't lying. Nanomon went to him and cut the ropes.

"When you change your mind and decide to cooperate, you know where to find me." The robot said.

"Do you know what will happen to you if I tell Kanda about your whereabouts?" Wizarmon asked, coldly. "He would be happy to give you the painful and slow death you deserve."

"It wouldn't be smart of you to cut your options like that." Nanomon affirmed. "You can't trust someone emotionally unbalanced like Kanda. To trust the human girl would be a mistake with apocalyptic repercussions. The Sanctuary must know about your betrayal by now, you can't go to them for help. Not to mention that if they found out what that Tailmon is, she'll be killed in the blink of an eye."

Wizarmon left that place in silence. He couldn't stand the idea of allying himself to Nanomon and turn against his Queen. Just by thinking of it, he felt ill. However, he didn't tell Kanda or Tailmon anything about that digimon once he returned to the main base. In an ideal world, Kanda, Nanomon and the Academy would be all destroyed, Ofanimon would be freed and Tailmon would be with Hikari.

Tailmon endured centuries of intense training by Kanda, keeping the hope of meeting Hikari. Maybe her plan would work and she and her partner could turn the tables against that man. Then, Wizarmon wouldn't have to go through the ultimate betrayal of giving the Academy back to Nanomon and allowing the robot to kill his Queen.

One day, Wizarmon was called to Kanda's laboratory, where the man showed him files about five human children in a computer. Each of them had been assigned to a crest and a digimon egg. Kanda's crest of love was guarded in a small glass dome nearby.

"What's the meaning of this?" Wizarmon asked.

"These are the new chosen children. I found their data in the computer a while ago." Kanda explained. "In a few weeks, I'll bring them to the Digital World."

"Are you bringing Hikari too?" The mage asked, hopeful.

The man smiled maliciously, getting up from his chair.

"Do you mean… bring her so she and Tailmon can run away?" He asked, clearly enjoying Wizarmon's shocked expression. "I have all my subordinates touch a memory mirror so I can keep an eye on their thoughts and change them when necessary. Did you really think I wouldn't do the same to Tailmon?"

"If you've done anything to her…" Wizarmon could feel deep hatred overflowing from his heart.

"I haven't. Not yet. Maybe I'll do something to her one day. I could erase her memories and replace them by ones in which she is only loyal to me." Kanda said. "But for now, I'd like to let her keep hoping to see the partner she will never meet."

"You said you'd bring Hikari here!" Wizarmon roared. "What was that talk about that girl's power and how you couldn't turn a blind eye to it?!"

"She has a huge amount of power, it's true. Too much in fact, it's nearly impossible to control." Kanda leaned towards Wizarmon while showing him a large smile that, combined with his wide open eyes, resulted in a disturbing expression. "I don't like not being in control."

"This will break Tailmon's heart…"

"I'll just have to use the mirror to give her happy memories." Kanda said. "Now, if you're too sad about it, you can continue to keep her company and be the only friend she needs. Wouldn't that be nice?"

Wizarmon stood there, unable to move a muscle, feeling as if the world was crashing down on his head.

"I don't think I need to tell you, but if you go to Tailmon and open your mouth about any of this…" Kanda whispered in his ear. "It won't end well for you."

The man left and the mage fell to his knees, defeated. The only card he had left in his sleeve was Nanomon. It seemed that it was finally time to abandon Ofanimon to help his friend. But the idea horrified Wizarmon. Despite his complicated feelings and his wish to be able to let go of her, Ofanimon was still too important to him. It was one thing to turn his back to her followers, but to do something that would directly harm her, that would result in her death, made him want to die.

Nevertheless, he couldn't allow Tailmon's situation to continue.

A couple of days later, under the excuse of a new lead regarding Otae, Wizarmon returned to the pyramid, in the hopes that he could find a way out of his dilemma. While discussing what to do, the subject of Vamdemon's interest in the Academy's main base and Nanomon's desire to destroy the vampire's army gave the wizard an idea. He told Nanomon about Kanda's space-time crack that could destroy a dimension, but hid the information about the mirrors that had been used on the members of the Academy.

It wasn't exactly his ideal scenario, but it was the best way out Wizarmon could wish for.

* * *

"Not enough!" Kanda told her during their daily trainings whenever he didn't think her attacks were acceptable, which was all the time. He made her fight robots and fight simulations of monsters above her level. She wasn't allowed to rest until she succeeded in defeating them.

"You can do better than this!" He told her, whenever her body was thrown to the floor, walls or ceiling of her training room. So many times she thought she was going to be torn apart. The pain he put her through was nearly unbearable.

"Don't you want to meet Hikari?"

The promise of meeting her partner was what motivated her to keep going. She was constantly told that Hikari was powerful beyond imagination and that, together, they would be the greatest force in the Digital World, able to put an end to the Sanctuary. She didn't care about any of that, though. Once she met Hikari, they would flee together and be happy. Tailmon just had to put up with Kanda a bit longer. She just had to be patient and brave.

Once Hikari found her, everything would have been worth it.

Besides Kanda, the only other company she had was Wizarmon. The mage digimon interceded when Kanda pushed her too far. When Tailmon was too tired and sore to walk, Wizarmon picked her up gently and took her to her bedroom. It was smaller than her training room, but was also completely white and had no windows. The electronic door could only be opened from the outside. There was a tiny air duct close to the ceiling and a pillow on the floor where she slept.

Kanda was the one who brought her daily rations, especially designed to increase her strength. Sometimes, Wizarmon brought something tasty for her. Tailmon liked to eat the treats while talking to him. She looked forward to his visits, when he told her what he had done during the day. Sometimes, he was too vague about it, but she didn't mind. Tailmon enjoyed listening to his stories about the outside world. The cat asked him to describe everything: the sky, the sun, the stars, the ocean… she barely remembered those things anymore. They were like fragments of dreams, like Taomon and the others from World's End. Her entire reality consisted of training with Kanda, talking to Wizarmon and dreaming about Hikari.

However, her dreams became different. Tailmon couldn't go to the dark space anymore. She couldn't listen to Hikari nor see her figure hidden by light. Instead, Tailmon had what her imagination could create about the girl. She imagined peaceful days with her, when they would get to see everything Tailmon had begun to forget about and much more.

She had been waiting since the beginning of her existence. But Hikari would certainly come.

One day, Kanda didn't show up to her training. Wizarmon entered her bedroom alone, holding a box.

"We're going out." He said.

"Out?" She asked, confused. "Where?"

"To the human world." Wizarmon explained. "Let's find your Hikari, Tailmon."

* * *

Wizarmon and Tailmon reached the balcony filled with snow. To their surprise, a little girl wearing a pink robe was there, seemingly waiting for them. She smiled brightly at the sight of them. Carrying Tailmon and his staff, Wizarmon landed a couple of steps away from the girl. The cat let go of him and took a step in Hikari's direction, holding her box. She gazed at the child as if afraid she would vanish.

"Are you Yagami Hikari?" Tailmon asked, although her fast-beating heart already knew the answer. Her partner was a lot more beautiful than she could have imagined.

The girl took the digivice from her robe's pocket and showed it to the digimon.

"Hello, Tailmon!" She greeted. "I'm so happy to finally meet you!"

"You know who I am…" Tailmon murmured, feeling her eyes getting warm because of her tears. "Were you waiting for me too? Then, when you saved me that time…"

"I don't remember doing that, but I was told about it." Hikari said. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more for you."

"Don't apologize for anything!" Tailmon forbade, opening the box and taking the pendant with the crest out of it, to give it to the girl. "We're together now! That's all that matters!"

Hikari pulled Tailmon to a tight hug, which the cat gladly accepted. Wizarmon observed the two attentively. He tried to peek into Hikari's mind to understand how she knew about Tailmon, but there was some kind of force blocking him out. Maybe it had something to do with the girl's alleged powers. But that shouldn't matter anymore, now that those two would stay in the human world.

"By the way, that is my friend Wizarmon!" Tailmon said suddenly, breaking the hug to point at the mage.

"Hello!" Hikari greeted, while putting the pendant around her neck. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Who could've possibly told you about me?" The digimon inquired.

"That will take some time to explain properly." Hikari murmured, scratching her head. "We can talk about it in our way to the Digital World."

Both digimon stared at her in shock.

"You want to go to that place?" Tailmon asked in a whisper. "Why?"

"I need to save the Digital World from a dangerous digimon who wants to destroy it." Hikari explained.

"A dangerous… digimon…?" Wizarmon asked, tightening the grip on his staff.

"She's called Ofanimon." Hikari said.

Tailmon took a step back. Wizarmon shivered. But none of the digimon had the chance to say anything.

The girl's older brother suddenly opened the door to the balcony. The boy stared, astonished, at the three individuals. In a weak voice, he asked:

"What's going on, Hikari?"

 **With this chapter, the third arc enters its final part. Thank you for the reviews.**


	36. Hikari's fate

He had welcomed Izumi Koushiro in that room many times after the boy's death. His other selves woke up on that chair across from his; the table between them was covered by a white sheet and had two cups of their favorite tea on it. None of those other Koushiros drank from that tea, which was probably for the best. He couldn't reproduce its taste anyway, as most of his sensory memories had vanished long ago.

But before him that day was someone else.

The visitor woke up, but couldn't emit any sound; lifted their head, but couldn't move the rest of their body.

The empty dark room had only one light, which came directly from above the table. He couldn't tell whether the place was cold or hot. The fact that the other was sweating and shaking at the same time didn't provide satisfactory clues.

"I'll bring you back to normal soon." He promised. "I have little time and much to tell, but I know that the main question in your mind might distract you, so I'll just address it right away: I look like the chosen child you known as Izumi Koushiro because I am him. I'm a version from a different universe, but still him."

Not long ago, acknowledging such truth would've been maddening. But he couldn't keep running from it after the confrontation with his other self.

"I've been given several names." He continued. "Before developing my programming, Wisemon studied similar entities from universes he had visited and named me 'Homeostasis,' after one of them. His plan was to surpass the power of those entities and create something unstoppable. In the Digital World you've known, I'm mostly referred to as 'Fate' and 'Spirit of the World.' But none of that is really important regarding what I'm about to address."

The other blinked, seemingly confused. The space around them briefly warped and the light above flickered. It wouldn't take too long; he had to hurry.

"Pay attention now. I will tell you a story."

 **Chapter 36: Hikari's fate**

There are people who leave a mark on you, people you can never forget. It's not something you wished for, things would be better if you could simply let them go. But they remain long after you can't see each other again, when they shouldn't be more than a blur in your mind. They can't be shaken off, they can't be forgotten… they're so deeply rooted in your heart that they become a part of you. You depend on them to live, even if you no longer have a heart that beats, or lungs that take in air, or blood or a body. Your existence is tied to that someone until the end of you.

That someone to me was a little girl in a flower shop, wearing a white dress, bearing a melancholic smile.

"Who are your flowers for?" She asked me that time.

"I'll take them to where my parents are sleeping." I replied.

She paled and gave me a serious look. Then, she held my hands, that were holding the bouquet, looked into my eyes and smiled. It wasn't sad or happy, but there was tenderness to it… a gentle, caring smile. That girl told me:

"They'll be happy to see you. And happier if you don't go there alone."

I've met Yagami Hikari in every universe I've been. She hasn't met me in most of them, though. Hikari-san didn't need that kind of trouble. I wasn't supposed to meet her in this universe, but it couldn't be avoided.

There's a great amount of information about her from other universes I haven't visited, thanks to Wisemon's research. In all those realities, Hikari had shown immense empathy. Her capability of understanding other people's feelings to the point where it seemed she could read thoughts led some to wonder if she had supernatural powers. That wasn't the case at all, at least not in the human world. But in a subjective place like the Digital World, her latent power couldn't be measured.

Maybe it was because of that power that so many versions of Homeostasis that preceded me tried to control Hikari. They possessed her, tried to make her believe that the power she wielded didn't come from her, that she was a tool for greater forces. Her crest was called "light" not in honor of her name, but meaning a foreign holiness to which she was merely a vessel.

I knew she was so much more than that since before I became like this. Hikari-san was a mystery that I couldn't unveil, but that didn't bother me at all. What I had for her were deep fascination and admiration. When she looked into my eyes, it was as if she could see my whole soul. All the pain I had locked in my heart since my parents had died seemed to be perfectly visible to her, despite nobody else seeing it. Hikari-san would gaze deeply into my eyes, without blinking, showing me a sorrowful expression. Then, she would tell me something enigmatic but comforting and smile.

She liked to ask questions for which I didn't know the answers. Questions that threw me off, like how I felt about snow, what was I scared of, what would make me happy… she said she liked to talk to me and wanted to get to know me. I never understood that, but I enjoyed her company. There wasn't a Homeostasis in my original universe, so Hikari-san was never used or possessed. But the crest she had been given greatly restricted her powers anyway.

You know, after I was turned into… this… back when I clung to my identity as Izumi Koushiro, I thought I could make use of my situation. I thought I could help my friends to become stronger in different timelines. I had ideas to assist them in achieving their greatest potential, but there was something holding most of them back… all the time, Taichi-san and Yamato-san got ahead of everybody else. In worlds where Hikari-san should be free of her shackles, she still didn't live up to what she could be.

It took me billions of years to understand why that happened. In spite of thinking that I had stopped believing I was Izumi Koushiro, I still felt like him. That group I had known in my time alive, led by Taichi-san… in which Yamato-san butted heads with him, Sora-san was a conciliator, I was the strategist and Hikari-san was… what was she? What was she outside of what she meant for Taichi-san? She was formidable, wise, brave, decent, kind… but who she was wasn't quite visible to us… those two, Taichi-san and Yamato-san, caught most of our attention.

I hadn't realized how much I loved being part of that group. Because I loved it, I didn't want to see that it was that group's dynamic that held her back. For so long I ran from the obvious conclusion that, for as long as Taichi-san and Yamato-san were around, the others, especially Hikari-san, wouldn't achieve greatness. Those were more than 300 universes of denial.

I did everything I could in this universe to set her free, to make her ascension not only possible but inevitable. I forged her myth deep into this world and broke all barriers that could trap her power. Hikari-san's emotions run deep and strong, they're capable of tearing the fabric of space and time apart, like they should. Her heart is grand like no other.

Because of that heart, she couldn't stand to see others hurt or to let anyone down. She always did as she was asked, acting like the sweet and loving daughter and sister everybody knew. Because she had a hard time saying 'no' to people and went along with whatever she thought would make others happy, she didn't tell Taichi-san that day when he wanted to play outside that she still felt sick.

That had happened hundreds of times. The first time I knew of it, I was searching with Taichi-san for a medicine while Sora-san and my brother took care of Hikari-san. Taichi-san broke down in front of me and told me about the time his sister almost died. He told me about the guilt he felt for not realizing sooner that she wasn't well and about how she always thought of others first and hid her pain. I hadn't realized in that time that he didn't criticize Hikari-san for being that way or that he didn't expect her to change. Now, as I recall that, I can notice the veiled admiration in his voice. I believe Taichi-san thought of those traits as noble things, as proof that his sister was a good person.

When he told me that, I remember feeling really bad for Taichi-san. I saw it all as something that had happened to him and hurt him only. That in spite of Hikari-san being the one who was sick, of her being the one whose life was at stake, in spite of her being very dear to me. Once I saw Taichi-san in distress, I forgot about her, myself and everything that didn't have to do with him. He has that kind of effect on people. He captures us in his warmth and envelops us to the point where we lose ourselves in his presence, which obfuscates all else. It's no surprise that Hikari-san does so much for him or that I thought so highly of him.

But when he took her out to play and she had to go to the hospital in this universe, it wasn't like the other times. Hikari-san wasn't getting better. She was dying.

Taichi-san completely vanished from my thoughts. I no longer cared about his sadness and guilt. I didn't see his tears nor did I pay attention to the harsh words his parents told him in the hospital's corridor. A sense of urgency took hold of me. I stopped observing things from afar and entered the human world. I called Hikari-san, cried her name out, but got no answer. That couldn't be happening, it couldn't! She couldn't just die like that, pointlessly, in a world made for her to shine! It was when I heard her voice calling me.

"Koushiro-san."

I wasn't hovering close to her hospital bed any longer, but inside a well-lit flower shop. The four year old girl wearing a pink dress was sitting on a bench close to the glass door, seemingly admiring a shelf filled with vases of white roses. However, as I got closer to her, I noticed that she wasn't smiling, having instead a sad glow in her eyes. Then, I noticed I looked like a six year old boy.

"Do you remember this place, Koushiro-san?" She asked, without turning her face to me.

"Taichi-san hasn't met Izumi Koushiro yet, you shouldn't know who he is." I told her.

"I have these dreams sometimes… since before I saw the beasts in the sky of Hikarigaoka. I'm older… I'm with Tailmon and my brother saving a world full of monsters and you were there… but it was only really _you_ that first time. Do you remember? Onii-chan and I were buying flowers for our mother's birthday and found you and Makoto-san here. That was the day I met you." She said.

I remembered that day clearly, but she shouldn't be able to. Maybe my meddling with her crest had something to do with it. Without restraints, her power couldn't only breach holes in reality, but it also allowed her to remember different lives. I put myself in her front so I could look directly into her eyes; what I saw terrified me. The eyes of that young girl seemed as ancient as mine.

"Izumi Koushiro died a long time ago. I'm a computer program with his memories and some glitches." I told her.

"You are different… sadder, angrier… but I can tell it's still you." Hikari-san said.

"I'm not Izumi Koushiro! Don't call me that! I'm not human nor am I alive! All I am is information gathered!" I stated.

She gazed at me in silence for a couple of minutes.

"Ok. I won't call you by that name if it upsets you. How would you like to be called?" Hikari-san asked me.

"My creator called me Homeostasis. I'm also called Spirit of the World, Fate-" I began to explain.

"You're not answering my question. How would you like to be called?" She interrupted.

"I'm a thing. I don't have any preference." I replied.

"Then, I'm going to call you 'my friend.' Does that sound good to you?" Hikari-san asked, smiling. I didn't have any reason to refuse that treatment, so I nodded.

"Do you understand what is happening to you now? You're in the hospital… your body isn't reacting for some reason. This has never happened before…" I murmured.

"I think I've never remembered before. I have these glimpses of memory… these sensations… I've gone through these events many times, haven't I? When Onii-chan asked me to go play outside with him, I knew something bad would happen to me and he would cry… nevertheless, I still went." She said, sadly.

"Because you didn't want to let him down…" I guessed.

"That would make sense… It fits with the opinion people have of me…" Hikari muttered, glancing down.

"Is there another reason for you to have done that?" I asked.

"If there was another reason… I mean… if I did something that I knew would hurt my brother's feelings… that would make me a bad person, wouldn't it? And I should be a good girl that puts the happiness of others before mine." She mumbled.

"That wouldn't make you a bad person. It doesn't matter what you do, you'll always be good, Hikari-san." I said without thinking too much.

She lifted her head and looked at me with wide open eyes. I approached her and touched her hands, letting her see into my memories. I showed her the Digital World, her partner's island to be more precise. Hikari-san learned from Taomon's mouth about her divinity and her destiny as the savior of the world.

"Did this ever happen before?" She asked, softly, once I brought her back to the flower shop.

"No, it's the first time. I'm changing things for you." I let her know.

"But when Onii-chan learns… when he comes to the Digital World with me…" Hikari muttered, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Taichi-san won't be a chosen child this time, nor will Yamato-san." I stated.

She looked at me in pure shock, not uttering a word for more than one minute.

"He can't… I need my brother to be with me! He has always taken care of me! What am I going to do if he's not around?!" She protested.

"You don't need him, Hikari-san. You're more than strong enough by yourself." I assured.

"But he has to be a chosen child! He's the most important one! Everybody… the Digital World needs him!" She continued.

"The Digital World needs you! You're the most powerful chosen child! You're the noblest, the bravest, the kindest and all living things should bow to you in awe! You're extraordinary, don't you understand? You're the most important person in existence!" I nearly shouted.

Hikari-san was visibly startled. First, she looked at me as if I was crazy. Then, her expression softened as a tearful glow appeared in her eyes.

"Do you really think I'm those things?" She asked timidly.

"You are those things." I reiterated.

A couple of tears fell from her eyes, but she smiled.

"You made me feel good about myself. Thank you, my friend." Hikari-san told me.

"If you like, I can visit you more times and we can talk more." I offered.

"I'd like that a lot." She said, showing me an even brighter smile.

After that, I left her inner world and Hikari-san recovered. I theorized that her psychological state might've influenced her health and felt bad about it. Therefore, I vowed to make her happy, no matter what.

Almost every night for the following four years, I visited Hikari-san. Her favorite location was the flower shop. I don't know how she did it, but I could only appear as being two years older than her, whatever her age was at the moment. There were times when looking at her made me think too hard about my original Hikari and that life I didn't want to claim as mine. When those hurtful feelings resurfaced, a few streams of blood came down from my head. I tried to hide them at first, but she told me it was okay. Hikari-san placed her hands on my head and made the pain disappear. I couldn't put in words how grateful I was for her.

She asked about Tailmon sometimes, but I told her I couldn't show her partner because of what had happened when she was a toddler. Hikari-san didn't remember tearing the fabric of reality to protect the cat digimon, but she believed me. I noticed that the scale of her power scared her, so I tried to make her feel better.

"You won't have to deal with this alone. You'll have the other chosen children to help you and you can count on my knowledge as well." I told her.

"Is Tailmon going to help me too?" She asked.

"Right now, your partner is getting stronger for you." I assured her.

She knows the basics about you, Tailmon, Kanda, Ofanimon, Devimon and others… how many times did she want to help her partner and I talked her out of it? "It's too dangerous to interfere, you could destroy the world, everything will turn out fine in the end, trust me" I said to her repeatedly. In those occasions, she didn't insist in changing my mind. Instead, she looked at me with cold eyes I had never seen in other universes. I knew she was reprimanding me… I knew she thought I was wrong, but she couldn't bring herself to condemn me in loud voice. That would change.

As time passed, Hikari-san opened up more to me. She told me about things that bothered her and made her upset and about how guilty she felt for feeling that way. I told her that there was nothing wrong in how she felt and that she shouldn't be ashamed of it. I once asked why she didn't tell other people about those things, to which she replied:

"Everybody already has so much to worry about. I don't want to add to the things that make them sad. I'd rather be someone that can raise their spirits and make them smile… like Onii-chan."

"You don't have to be like your brother, Hikari-san." I said to her.

"Onii-chan doesn't think twice before helping someone, he jumps into action. Sometimes, he gets into fights because of it, but he doesn't mind. My brother does what he thinks is right for everyone without hesitation. There's something about how he talks… about how he smiles… he knows how to bring people together and how to encourage them… from the little I know about my other lives, I know that he has always been like that… like a sun that keeps everybody warm and happy."

"The sun is nothing but one star. There are many others much brighter than it, but we can't see them when the sun is up. Their true splendor is only visible in its absence." I commented.

"My brother is the person I admire most in the world. If I could be just a little like him, I'd be happy." She said.

"You surpass him, Hikari-san. You simply haven't accepted it yet. But once you do, you'll see how much of an impact you'll have on everybody's lives." I told her.

"Onii-chan is a good person. When the time for me to go to the Digital World comes… if I explain everything to him, he'll let me go, right? In those other worlds, he let me go because he knew I was needed… he must do the same this time…" She muttered, as if talking more to herself than to me.

After she became more comfortable with me, Hikari-san asked more frequently about what I did in the Digital World. I couldn't bring myself to lie to her. So, I told her:

"I was created to serve the Digital World and its inhabitants. I give them what they want… sometimes what they want is to hurt others, so I give them the power to do that. Some of them want to believe they're special, so I feed their fantasies. At times, there are those that want to sacrifice themselves for something greater, and I let them. Some want someone to hate and blame everything on, and I can be that someone."

That was the ordinary explanation she had never really objected to. Until the day she did, six months before Sora-san and the others came to the Digital World.

"You talk as if you're not responsible for all those tragedies." She said to me, walking away from the flower shop. At the other side of the door, there wasn't a city, but a large field of tall grass. The rays of sun barely made their way through the clouded sky. I followed the girl in the pink dress and talked to her, but Hikari-san had hidden herself among the tall grass.

"I'm just a machine. I'm not entitled to decide what's good or bad." I stated.

"You know that what you've done is bad." She affirmed.

"I realize you're far too young to understand, but 'good' and 'bad' are not that easy to define. I gave power to Patamon, the partner of your old pal Takeru-kun-" I began to say.

"I've never met Takeru-kun in this life." She cut me off.

"But you two always end up being friends. Anyway… if the partner of the bearer of hope wants to bring peace to the world, why should I hesitate to give him power? Yes, he killed a lot of digimon, but he was doing it for his ideals! Who was I to say he was wrong? Besides, it's not as if I went around giving power to anyone after that! All the mess with Ofanimon, the Sanctuary and the Academy was off my hands, I had nothing to do with it!" I defended myself, looking frantically around to the grass that seemed to grow.

"You feel so guilty about everything you've done, but you keep lying to yourself… you make up ridiculous excuses trying to convince yourself that you're not human…" Hikari-san said. I couldn't determine from where her voice was coming. The growing grass became thicker and blocked my vision of the sky. The darkness around me was getting denser.

"I'M NOT HUMAN! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO REPEAT THAT?!" I shouted.

"I know what you've never told me, and I'm not just talking about your omissions in saving others. I know what you've done to Koushiro-san again and again…" She spoke in a cold voice that terrified me.

Hikari-san shouldn't know about that, it shouldn't be possible. I had never bothered to guard my thoughts from her because I believed she couldn't see them unless I let her. But, in the end, I am a part of the Digital World where I removed all barriers to her power. Her crest, made to respond to her strongest desires, was meant to help Hikari-san in her apotheosis to come. I should've seen it, it should've been obvious… that child already overpowered me.

I tried to escape from her, but couldn't move. She could do anything she wanted to me. However, I didn't stay frightened for too long. It might've happened before what I had planned, but the idea was always for Hikari-san to be stronger than me. She was the only one who could achieve that, the only one who could save me.

"Koushiro-san is a close friend of my brother. You have no idea how hard it is for me to look at him… to talk to him… knowing what you've put him through… that poor boy…" She muttered.

"Why did you take this long to confront me? Were you scared I'd hurt you? I would never do that to you." I wanted to know.

"You're quite strange, my friend… you're not evil, I know that. You're just someone filled with pain. That pain makes you do horrid things, things you regret! But you don't have to continue to be like that. You can stop… I can help you to stop." She said in a comforting voice.

Then, I saw her walking in my direction, emitting pink light as she showed me a beautiful smile. She spoke with confidence… with a determination that I didn't know… seeing her like that made me so proud.

"You can rewrite me… you can erase all these glitches and turn me into what I'm supposed to be… a fully functional computer program that has only the best interests of the Digital World in mind… the greatest ally of the chosen children…" I mumbled, feeling my eyes getting warm and my sight getting blurred. Hikari-san's smile vanished.

"What you're asking me… I can't… I can't do that to you!" She cried.

"But you must! You're the only one who can fix me! With your help, I'll be so much better! It'll be so much easier to help my friends in their mission! To help them to get stronger!" I said, without thinking.

"Your friends? The chosen children?" She asked, making me realize what I had just said.

"That was the glitch talking, not me! I can't control those things… I need them to stop, do you understand? I can't help myself, only you can!" I told her, letting tears roll down my eyes.

"The answer isn't for you to stop being yourself, but to embrace who you are! You can get better and be the good person I know you can be! Accept yourself, Koushiro-san!" Hikari-san urged.

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!" I screamed, walking backwards. She tried to reach out to me, I could feel a force pulling me in her direction, but I managed to resist.

"I just want to help you, Koushiro-san!" She stated.

"I'M NOT HIM!" I yelled, shutting my eyes closed. Then, suddenly, I stopped feeling that force. I had left her world.

I was afraid to talk to her again and have another outburst, but to spend so much time away from her was driving me to despair. I had grown so used to having her around that I felt like a part of me was missing... my best part… I didn't seek her again until Sora-san and the others had gone to the Digital World. In my original plans, Hikari-san was to go with them and I'd guide her to her partner. When she didn't go to the summer camp, I realized that the way I had behaved must've hurt her feelings. It wasn't my place to guard myself from her. I went to visit Hikari-san, who was home alone, taking a nap. We met at the flower shop, where she was gazing at the white roses she loved so much.

I apologized to her and she did the same.

"It was wrong of me to look into your mind without permission. I won't do that anymore." Hikari-san promised.

"Can we pretend none of that happened and go back to how we were before?" I asked in a murmur. She nodded and smiled, sadly.

"I missed you, my friend." Hikari-san said.

"I missed you too." I replied.

After that, she told me that she had pretended to be sick and I guessed she did it because it'd be awkward for her to see the Izumi Koushiro of this universe in that camp.

Then, things got complicated between us. She disagreed with how I wanted to help the chosen children and we had a big fight. That really messed me up… I lost control of my emotions and got to talk to Izumi Koushiro, but I couldn't accept what he had to say to me… I needed to make amends with Hikari-san.

Tonight, I begged her to talk to me. Reluctantly, she agreed, but only if I didn't enter the flower shop. Through the closed glass door, I told her what had happened.

"You did it again… you tried to kill Koushiro-san…" She spoke in a disappointed tone.

"That was wrong, but I couldn't help myself. But now I know, Hikari-san! I've accepted who I am, like you wanted me to! I want to make things right!" I said.

"Is that what you call making Palmon fight Patamon?" She asked, disgusted.

"I helped them to solve their problem and they're all better now! Mimi-san is feeling so much better, isn't that what you wanted? I did it for you!" I stated.

Hikari-san stared at me for half a minute. She opened the door and stepped outside. The flower shop disappeared and we stood among the tall grass. Thick tears rolled from her eyes. I tried to dry them with my hands; it was when I noticed my long blooded arms. I no longer looked like I was only two years older than her, as usual. That was the appearance I had when I died.

"This is my fault for thinking I could change you… that I could make you stop. You're never going to stop, are you? You're not going to get better… look at what you've done because I overlooked your actions. If I let you, you'll hurt more people, you'll torment them in worse ways than you did to Mimi-san…" She said.

"Why is what I did to Mimi-san such a deal breaker to you? Was it because I made you help me? Getting your hands dirty was too much for you, is that it?" I inquired, bitterly.

"You don't get to talk to me like that!" Hikari-san shouted.

"Of course! Because you're such a good person! Everybody says that to you! You can conciliate being a good person with your omission in stopping me by pretending that you wanted me to change, but it's harder to do that when you're covering up for me and lying to Mimi-san! It's harder when you shut me off and let me nearly kill your brother's precious friend!" I accused as tears rolled down my face and my imaginary body began to shiver.

I didn't think about what I was saying. It'd be easier to believe those were words thrown out in a moment of anger, but I knew there was a deeper meaning behind them that I didn't want to face, something that I could only see once I acknowledged my humanity. Hikari-san was formidable, but she wasn't perfect how I thought she was. She was a little girl with insecurities and flaws, not a savior or goddess. What had led me to think otherwise wasn't any cold machine logic… I was never really a machine. It was my memories blurred by my feelings of the girl in the flower shop, the Hikari-san I had grown up with… the one with whom I was going to see the Christmas lights…

What was I doing, trying to make her live up to my idealization, making her the one that could save me? Everything seemed so stupid and wrong. What the hell was I doing? What did I want? I don't know… I don't think I'll ever know… maybe I was just a fool trying to make sense of my irrational whims. What did I do to them all? And Hikari-san? My sweet Hikari-san was crying profusely, trembling, feeling responsible for my sins… a little kid like her… what had I done? How could I say all those stupid things to her? What made me so angry at her… so scared…?

"Please, forget what I said to you." I pleaded.

"We can't pretend it didn't happen. We should never have tried that." She spoke in low voice.

"I'm so sorry, Hikari-san…" I said.

"I didn't pretend to want to change you. I could've stopped you long ago. An actual good and brave person that thinks on the happiness of other people first would've done that… but I didn't want to lose you… you're so important to me, my friend. If you could be redeemed, I could keep you in my life…" She cried, rubbing her eyes.

"We're really bad for each other, aren't we?" I murmured, wiping my tears with the back of my hand. Hikari-san didn't say anything; she just kept giving me that devastated look.

"You understand it, don't you? I can't let you continue." Hikari-san whispered, as if scared of her own conclusion.

"I know." I said back. I took a step forward, kneeled in front of her, lifted her face with my hand and forced a smile. And I told her: "It's not that bad. I won't suffer anymore, I won't hurt anyone again… I'm sure you'll make good use of my knowledge and Tailmon… she'll be such a terrific friend to you, you'll love each other so much… she's coming to meet you right now, you know? When you wake up, make sure to go greet her and hug her, okay? You'll see… soon… I'll be just a bad memory buried under many good ones…"

Hikari-san stretched her arms and emitted pink light from her fingertips. The tall grass field vanished and was replaced by a flowered field, where a bird was chiseling a small piece of diamond.

"G-Good-bye, m-my friend." She said, among sobs.

"You can call me by my name, if you want." I told her.

Hikari-san smiled sadly as a pair of thick tears escaped her yes.

"Good-bye, Koushiro-san."

Those were the last words I heard from her.

She woke up a bit after that, but she's still taking me over. This room is the last place left. Once you wake up, you'll notice that very little time passed outside.

Thank you for listening to me, Wizarmon.

* * *

Wizarmon could at last move and speak again. He looked around, noticing the pink sparks making their way into the room.

"Hikari… has your power now? Fate's power?" He asked, afraid.

"I'm just a bunch of information that she can use. Power was something she always had, now more than ever." The boy explained.

"She's going after Ofanimon! I have to stop her! How do I stop her?" Wizarmon was sounding desperate.

"What happens from now on isn't my problem." The other stated.

"How can you say that?! Why did you bring me here, then?! What was the point in telling me all that?!" The mage shouted.

"You know… in universes where he doesn't die, my brother is a chosen child and you're his partner… I didn't want to be alone… you're the closest thing to him I can have." The boy said in a weak voice. "I can feel the slumber already… I think I'm beginning to dream… I can see the Christmas lights and Hikari-san's smile…"

Pink light was slowly surrounding them. The boy's body was being consumed by it; he closed his eyes and smiled.

"It's time for me to sleep. And for you to return, Wizarmon."

The mage digimon woke up by Tailmon's side, on the balcony. Hikari and her brother were talking a few steps away.

"What happened to you? You just fainted out of nowhere!" Tailmon said.

With urgency in his voice, Wizarmon told her:

"We have to get out of here!"

* * *

Taichi had made her an omelet for dinner. He wanted to know what was making her sad, but she knew how to make him change the subject.

"You seem a bit down, Onii-chan. Is everything okay?"

"What? Yes, yes it is!" He said, laughing nervously. "You might not believe it, but… Sora and Koushiro visited a world inhabited by monsters with some other kids. And they befriended talking monsters."

Hikari slightly raised an eyebrow as she took a portion of omelet to her mouth, studying how her brother's face was getting covered by sweat and he avoided looking at her.

"Didn't you go with them?" She asked, fully knowing the answer.

"Uhm… no, I didn't…" Taichi muttered, glancing at his plate. "They did fine by themselves, though. Sora and Koushiro even became closer to each other. I think they're better friends now..."

"That's good." Hikari said, smiling softly. "They can get along well just fine without you around. You should be happy."

"They were forced into that situation, it's not like they chose anything." Taichi mumbled, while playing with his food. "During their hardships, they must've wanted me to be around and help. I was always there for them… I was their best friend, they could count on me for anything..."

"Are you not their best friend anymore?" Hikari questioned in a serious tone. She thought he was being over dramatic, but it wouldn't be nice to tell him that. The girl had to find a way to make him feel better.

"You shouldn't worry about that." She said. "Everybody loves you, Onii-chan. They'll certainly be drawn to you again."

"There's something off with them…" Taichi muttered. "They're keeping things from me… and there was this air between them, like… they seemed to be so close… they weren't like that before, they didn't have anything in common. I was like a bridge to them and now it's like they're leaving me behind… as if they didn't need me anymore…"

"Does that bother you?" Hikari asked.

"I shouldn't be bothering with this stuff, it's not really important." Taichi said, forcing another laugh. "Everything is fine now. Everybody is safe. That's all that matters."

The girl didn't say anything else. She knew that wasn't true. Mimi, for instance, had been hurt pretty badly with her help. Hikari went along with it, knowing it was wrong. She was scared. It wasn't like the things he had done in other universes, before meeting her. It wasn't like the bad things he hadn't stopped from happening. He actively hurt Mimi and her mother and didn't see anything wrong with it.

Hikari didn't stop him, she didn't understand what he was doing. The girl thought that she had him figured out and that she could help him. But that was too much.

When she went to sleep, she returned to the flower shop. Hikari had never visited a place like that in her life, but had glimpses of memory regarding it. They were little pieces of a puzzle she couldn't visualize. In the end, she didn't know much besides that she had lived many lives that were too similar to each other.

Always the sweet girl, beloved daughter, timid little sister, protected by her heroic brother… she was someone said to think of others first. She shouldn't want to hurt anyone, but she hurt Taichi that time. Hikari knew he would suffer if she went to play with him while sick and did it anyway. Why didn't she stop? Why didn't she say anything? She simply accepted what others wanted. Why put up a fight? It was always like that, it would always be like that. But then she met her friend and the promise of a different life seduced her.

She didn't have to be in anyone's shadow, she didn't have to be protected by Taichi. Hikari could be strong, brave, heroic. She could save the world.

However, Hikari began to see things she didn't want to. Things her friend didn't want her to know about. At first, she was in denial. He was so kind to her, how could he be like that? For a while, she made up excuses for him. But wasn't that just her being passive? Hikari didn't want to be like that. She had to confront him but didn't want to lose his friendship, so she thought she could help him to change. If she could save the Digital World, surely she could save her friend.

But the only help he wanted was to stop existing. If she had done that when he asked, so many terrible things would've been avoided, it would've been better for everyone, except for Hikari. Because of her selfish desire to keep him around, that one person who believed in her completely, who saw something extraordinary where everybody else saw a fragile kid… Hikari didn't want to lose him. How many did that decision damn?

He appeared at the other side of the glass door of the flower shop. She didn't allow him to enter. He babbled incoherent things and didn't bother to hide his thoughts and feelings from her, like he had been doing since after their six months separation.

Hikari saw everything he had done that night.

Her friend was there to beg for her forgiveness and to swear that things would be different that time. Not realizing, again, what he was doing wrong. In that moment, Hikari finally accepted that he would never change. And she understood that it was her responsibility to stop him from hurting others.

The pain she felt when she did it was so agonizing that she wished she could open her chest and take her heart out.

Once it was done, a white wooden door appeared at the tall grass field of her mind. Behind it lay what once was the Koushiro she knew.

When Hikari woke up, all she wanted was to continue to cry. However, Tailmon was finally coming to her, leaving a life of misery behind, something from which Hikari hadn't saved her. Tailmon had already suffered so much, she deserved a partner that would make her happy. Hikari had to be that person for her partner's sake. Once her partner arrived, she made sure to smile the whole time. But she couldn't do it anymore after her brother appeared.

"What's going on, Hikari?" He asked, with an astonished look.

There were many gentle ways to explain what was happening, but Hikari felt too drained of energy to find one. She had already put so much effort in accommodating Tailmon, why did she have to do it again with her brother so soon? Her heart still raced and her insides still hurt, she could still see glimpses of Koushiro whenever she blinked, she could feel his presence fading from the melting snow on the balcony. She was so tired, how much did she have to explain? Hikari should get straight to the point and let her brother know what she had to do. He would understand, wouldn't he?

"I'm a chosen child, like Sora-san and…" She couldn't pronounce her friend's name without crying. "Tailmon is my partner. She'll help me to save the Digital World."

Taichi didn't want to believe her at first, but Hikari showed him the digivice and the crest. A horrified expression took over his face.

"Y-you can't be… it's not possible, you can't… no… no!" Taichi murmured, taking two steps in her direction.

"I'm going to be safe, I promise." Hikari said.

"You have my word that I will protect Hikari!" Tailmon vowed, standing by the side of Wizarmon, who had fainted.

"B-but you can't go without me!" Taichi protested. "I-I have to be with you! I have to take care of you!"

"I'm strong!" Hikari stated, clenching her fists. "No one is stronger than me! No one can hurt me anymore! That world needs my help and I can't ignore it!"

Her body trembled. Her memories with her friend resurfaced, making fresh tears appear in her eyes. She had done that to him because it was the right thing, she couldn't afford to be selfish anymore, for the sake of everybody else. If she had to do that, she couldn't stop now. Hikari had to fully commit to her responsibilities and take action. She wouldn't be stopped by a concerned brother.

"First Sora and Koushiro, now you… why…?" Taichi mumbled. "You can't just all abandon me like this, as if I didn't matter, you can't… what am I going to do without you…?" A few tears formed in his eyes. "You can't do this to me, Hikari!"

"To you…?" The girl repeated in low voice. "This is happening to _you_?!"

Whatever part of her heart that had endured her friend's demise was shattered by what her brother said. He was supposed to be selfless, heroic, everything she wanted to be. She had to sacrifice so much for what was right, she had to suffer for the sake of others. Meanwhile her brother wasn't willing to lose anything, he wasn't willing to see from someone else's perspective. For him, her actions mattered to the extent of how _he_ was affected by them, by how they made _him_ feel. Her beloved brother couldn't be that self-centered.

Or could he? What if he had always been like that, but she fooled herself into believing otherwise? What if her outstanding brother only existed in her imagination? He could very well just be a selfish guy. Maybe, he did good deeds just because he wanted to be liked. Maybe he actually liked that she was so self-sacrificing, it must've made things convenient for him. And that was why he never wanted her to change in all those lives. He was the only one meant to be the hero, the only one meant to save the day. Her role was meant to revolve around his. Not even while playing pretend did he ever let her be anything else.

In all her lives, she had been nothing else besides Taichi's sister.

"You're a terrible brother, Onii-chan." She said in a cold tone. "I don't need you for anything."

"What are you saying…?" Taichi asked, confused and hurt. "Hikari, you don't… you don't really mean that, do you…?"

Large tears formed in his eyes and his body shivered. He stood there, shocked, with his heart broken. Hikari didn't feel bad about him. Now she saw things clearer and understood her actions better than when she was a child. It was time for her to grow up.

A discussion between Tailmon and Wizarmon caught her attention. The mage digimon was up and pulling the cat by the arm.

"I'M NOT LEAVING WITH YOU! I JUST FOUND HIKARI!" Tailmon shouted, trying to hold onto the balcony with her free paw.

"All of this was a mistake, Tailmon!" Wizarmon told her. "That girl isn't who we thought she was! She's dangerous! I can't let you be with her!"

"STAY AWAY FROM MY PARTNER!" Hikari ordered, glaring at Wizarmon. Perplexed, the mage let go of the cat digimon, who ran to the girl's side. The child felt something hot emerging from her and looked down. He crest was glowing.

Trembling, Wizarmon pointed his staff at her.

"I won't let you kill Ofanimon like you did to that boy!" He vowed.

"W-What is he saying?" Taichi asked in a weak voice. "My sister w-would never-"

"Don't talk on my behalf!" Hikari shouted at her brother for the first time in her life, which left him speechless.

"Are you alright, Hikari?" Tailmon asked in a scared voice. "You don't seem well…"

"I'm so sick of this." The girl said. "Always pleasing others, always smiling, doing what I'm told… enough with this. Enough! I'm the one who calls the shots now! I'm the one who makes the decisions and no one can stop me! NO ONE!"

"My body… it's burning!" Tailmon cried as the intense light from the girl's crest entered her.

"Stop what you're doing!" Wizarmon ordered the girl. "Leave her alone, you devil!"

"Hikari… please…" Taichi tried to talk to her. "This isn't you…"

"You don't know who I am, Onii-chan! I never let you know!" Hikari stated, glaring at him. She could feel years of anger and resentment she hadn't acknowledged burning their way out of her heart and getting mixed with her sadness. She had reached a point of no return and knew it. "Devil… Goddess… it doesn't matter what I'm called or how people feel about me." Hikari affirmed, looking back at Wizarmon. "I'm going to save the Digital World!"

An explosion of light knocked Wizarmon and Taichi unconscious. Tailmon levitated and began to change.

"Tailmon super evolves to… ANGEWOMON!"

The angel was shocked at her sudden transformation.

"Too much power… is this Hikari's…? I can't handle it…" She muttered.

"You'll get used to it, don't worry." Hikari assured. "Please, take those two inside and put them in the beds. I'm going to change my clothes and then we'll leave."

"W-Where are we going?" Angewomon asked.

"First, we'll find a quiet place for me to study some information I've acquired. Then, I'll open a portal for us." Hikari said. "The Digital World needs us. And once we save it, I promise I'll make you happier than you've ever dreamed of being."

"What about the other chosen children?" The digimon asked.

Hikari looked at her for a moment and smiled large and bright before replying:

"We don't need anyone else."

 **I think this chapter is the riskiest one I ever wrote, but it was essential not only for the plot of the final arc (which starts in more two or three chapters) but also for Hikari's character arc, which is going to be a big focus of the story. I know that where she's heading is upsetting now, but her destination will hopefully pay it off. Thank you for staying with me so far. May 2018 be a good year for us all.**


	37. The Yagami siblings

**Chapter 37: The Yagami siblings**

Taichi didn't remember how it was before Hikari was born, but he knew that it had been a less joyful period of his life. His most intense memories revolved around his parents arguing, especially when his father returned home drunk after work. Not that Hikari's birth changed that, but the presence of his little sister took the boy's mind away from their shouting. He liked to look at her peaceful baby face and play with her until she slept.

When Hikari became a toddler, their mother began to leave them alone for many hours during the day. Taichi was responsible for taking care of his little sister. She was very calm and hardly cried; when that happened, he was able to soothe her by reminding the girl that he was there and everything would be fine. Taichi never stopped telling her that.

A few times, she fixated her eyes in a corner of the apartment, as if she could see something that wasn't there. Their mother noticed that behavior once and became concerned. The woman brought it up to her husband, but he dismissed it as nothing to worry about, which led to a new argument.

The next times Hikari behaved that way, Taichi put a lot of effort in convincing her that there was nothing where she was looking. It didn't work, though. One day, not only did his sister see something, but she also heard the thing crying for help. His attempts to dissuade her didn't stop Hikari from taking a few steps away from him, kneeling on the floor and stretching her hand. As she talked to the invisible being, pink sparks left her fingertips and vanished in the air. At the same time, the lights of the apartment began to flicker and the electronic devices emitted strange sounds.

"HIKARI, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Taichi cried, pulling the girl by her shoulders. In that moment, she lost consciousness.

Taichi didn't know what to do. Their mother wasn't at home and wouldn't be back for hours, like usual. He took the toddler to her bed and observed her. Hikari seemed to be just asleep. She had a tired but happy expression when she woke up one hour later.

"I saved her, Onii-chan." Hikari muttered. "She won't suffer anymore…"

"Who are you talking about?"

"The white beastie from the other world." Hikari replied. "She's always calling me… she wants me to go where she is."

Taichi had believed that whatever Hikari thought she had seen only existed in her imagination. But after the events of that day, he began to wonder if there really was something out there trying to get his sister.

"I'm going to protect you!" The boy vowed. "I won't let anything from another world get close to you!"

Hikari didn't react to his words with relief. Instead, she showed him a sad expression.

The girl didn't bring up any strange thing for the next year, nor did she seem to remember about any beastie. Taichi wondered if he had imagined the flickering lights, strange noises and the sparks emanating from his sister's fingers. Whatever that was, he was relieved to think it was over.

His parents still fought a lot. During a particularly intense argument, Hikari woke up in tears. Taichi sat on her bed, caressed her head and sang for her, to try to calm her down.

"I'm going to leave you if you don't stop drinking!" They could hear their mother threatening their father at the kitchen, through the closed bedroom door.

"You're a high school drop-out! You'll never survive without me!" The man retorted.

Hikari trembled, making Taichi tighten the hug.

"You don't have to be afraid of anything. I'm here with you." He assured. "I will always be with you."

The shouts got louder and scarier as accusations of one of them ruining the other's life were thrown around. Taichi had begun to tremble more than his sister, despite trying to soothe her. Before he could react, Hikari broke free of his embrace and ran towards the kitchen.

"Hikari, don't!" He tried to stop her.

Their parents were terrifying when they were angry at each other. What would they do to the little girl if she interrupted them? Taichi sometimes had nightmares about his drunken father walking menacingly in his direction, with rage in the eyes. _"It's all because of you!"_ The man roared, pointing an accusing finger to the boy, right before the mother put herself between them and ordered the kid to go back to his bedroom. On his way there, the boy heard his father calling him _"mistake."_ Taichi wasn't sure if those images in his dreams were just a product of his imagination.

Taichi followed her and trembled at the sight of the adults, fearing that his sister would be yelled at. However, Hikari was the one to shout:

"Please, stop yelling! You're making us upset!"

The two adults stared at the little girl, seemingly in shock. Hikari had small tears shining in her eyes, but didn't look away from them, clenching her fists despite slightly trembling. Taichi put himself between his sister and his parents. He wanted to say something, to ask them not to be mad at the girl, but to be under their gaze paralyzed him. He noticed a bit later that Hikari was holding his right arm and pulling him, silently asking for them to go back to the bedroom. They did so, without hearing any protest from the adults. The two kids didn't hear their parents raising their voices again.

"It's going to be okay, Onii-chan." Hikari promised, tucking herself under her sheet.

Taichi climbed the stair to his bed in silence, feeling as if his heart had gotten heavier. Despite being so young, his sister showed more courage and resolve than he had. Taichi believed that he should have been the one to protect the girl, the one to take the initiative to stand up for others. Deep shame ate him from the inside out.

With time, their father began to drink less often, which made their mother smile more. The times when the two adults yelled at each other seemed to have passed. All of that because of what Hikari did. Taichi wondered, after a while, if the results would've been the same had he been the one to call them out. Could it be that they never noticed how their arguments affected their son? Or did they only change their behavior once they realized that Hikari was being hurt as well?

It wasn't as if his parents ever said anything to Taichi directly, but the boy could feel that they showed more care and concern for Hikari than for him. Maybe it was because she was small or because she was a girl, or because she was nice and sweet. He still had sometimes nightmares where his father said everything had been Taichi's fault. Taichi had never heard any similar comment regarding the girl. Maybe there wasn't anything meaningful behind that. Hikari was Taichi's favorite person, it should be normal for her to be the same for other people too.

After they moved to Odaiba, Hikari got the flu and stayed in bed for many days. Taichi felt terrible about her having to stay at home for so long. One day, after returning from school, Taichi found his sister watching TV on the couch, home alone, more bored than he had ever seen her. Assuming that she was feeling better, he took her to the park to play soccer.

The girl wasn't kicking the ball the right way. Taichi had already taught her how to do that.

"Hikari, kick it right!" He said, a bit annoyed.

It didn't take long before she collapsed.

Taichi called an ambulance and went with his sister to the hospital. His mother arrived there a couple of hours later. Furious, the woman slapped him.

"You knew she was sick!" His mother shouted, among tears. "How could you take her out?! What's the matter with you?!"

Taichi had just wanted to play with her, so Hikari could have fun. He had thought she was better and she didn't say she wasn't, she didn't say anything, he had not noticed there was something wrong.

When his father came, he looked at him the same way he did in the boy's nightmares.

"If something happens… if she dies, it'll be your fault!" The man roared, trembling in rage.

Those words echoed in Taichi's mind, hitting him like a wall of bricks. Hikari could die? She could die because of what he did? Because he didn't think things through? Taichi had just wanted to make her happy, he had just wanted for her to have a good time. He should've realized it, he should've noticed it. He neglected her, he made an unforgivable mistake.

Taichi was the mistake. He ruined people's lives. He was the cause of everything. It was all his fault.

After days between life and death, Hikari was liberated from the hospital. As she was carried by their father, she glanced at her brother and muttered:

"I'm sorry for not kicking the ball right… Onii-chan…"

To hear those words in his sister's guilty voice made him feel like the worst person who had ever lived. Taichi wished he could dig a deep and dark hole and jump in there, not to be seen by anyone else, only able to listen to his own cries.

Once they were home and Hikari was in her bed, Taichi apologized to her.

"I shouldn't have taken you out! I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay..." She said, weakly.

"It was dangerous for you! I p-put you in danger! I-I…" He sobbed. "I'll never let anything happen to you again! I'm going to protect you, Hikari! I swear! "

She gave him a sad look, but didn't say anything. After that experience, Hikari became quieter and more mysterious. Strangely, she smiled more.

* * *

Sora had met Taichi in her first day of kindergarten, the same day when the other kids made fun of her hair, which was tied in the clip Toshiko had given her. The unknown boy got angry at the kids and told them to stop, which they didn't. It was only a matter of time until Taichi got into a fist fight with them.

He was sent to the infirmary and Sora went to see how he was.

"You didn't have to do that for me." She said.

"Those guys pissed me off and I punched them. It's simple as that." Taichi explained, sitting on a chair. Some bandages had been put on his face and arms.

"Why would you be angry at that? It didn't happen to you." Sora contested.

"Those boys were dumb for making fun of your hair. It looks really cool, like fire!" Taichi interjected.

"You find fire cool…." The girl mumbled, looking away.

"Of course! I wish my hair was like that!" He stated, running his fingers through his hair. "It'd make me look like a human torch! Nothing could be cooler than that!"

Sora smirked at the comment, which made the boy grin.

"I made you laugh! It means that we're friends now!" He said that in such a happy voice that Sora had to smile.

They became inseparable after that.

It didn't take long for Taichi to introduce Sora to his sister and for the three of them to play together. The boy was always enthusiastic about making sure that both girls had fun. Sora found her friend's sister sweet and cute, but perhaps too shy. Nevertheless, she liked Hikari a lot.

Sora had grown accustomed to seeing Taichi's grin whenever she saw him. Then one day, after days of absence, he appeared at school with haunted red eyes and a devastated expression. Before the class started, Sora sat with him in the corridor and asked what had happened. He tried to deny that there was anything out of the ordinary, but the girl's insistence made him talk.

"I took Hikari to play outside when she was sick… I-I thought she was b-better already…" He said, among sobs, while rubbing his eyes. "She was taken to the hospital and almost… I almost k-killed my sister!"

His cry became uglier and louder. Sora pulled his shaking body to a tight hug.

"I'm the worst brother in the world…" Taichi murmured, burying his face in her shoulder.

"That's not true at all!" She affirmed. "You're always thinking about Hikari-chan! Anyone can tell that you love her!"

"I should've noticed that she wasn't well! I should've protected her! A good brother would!" Taichi cried. "Hikari never says anything, she never complains… she's too nice of a person… I should've noticed she was still sick!"

"There's nothing you can do about what happened, but you can be more careful from now on. Don't be so hard on yourself. I know you won't ever let anything bad happen to her again." Sora assured.

"I'll take better care of her. I'll protect her from everything." Taichi vowed.

"You can count on me to help you with that." Sora said. "I'll be always there for you."

* * *

She woke up in her futon, with Piyomon by her right and Agumon by her left. Sora stood up and walked to her desk, where her digivice and the quadrangular amulet she had gotten from Picodevimon the day before were. The painted arrow had vanished from it. According to Agumon, that object was used to locate a godly power in the human world, which she assumed was Fate's. When she opened her bedroom's window, the girl saw, under the clear sky, no signs of snow.

It was a sunny and hot summer morning.

Something had happened and had to be discussed in the reunion the chosen children would have that day. Sora took a shower and then put on a pair of jeans pants and a red blouse with short sleeves. She put on new bandages on her hands and covered them with a pair of black gloves. Then, she stuck her digivice on her belt, also picking up the amulet from the desk. The girl opened the hats drawer in her wardrobe but didn't feel like picking one up.

"Don't you have any wig?" Agumon asked behind her. Both he and Piyomon had woken up.

"Sorry." Sora said. "But if you have interest in hats-"

"Alright! If you insist so much, this one will do!" Agumon interrupted, picking up a dark orange fabric hat that almost covered his eyes. "What do you call it?"

"It's just an ordinary orange hat." Sora replied.

"Then, my name now will be Just-an-ordinary-orange-hat-Agumon!"

"Nobody is ever going to call you that!" Piyomon said, looking then at the window's direction. "What happened to the snow?"

"It's gone, as if it had been never there." Sora muttered in a worried voice, showing the amulet to them. "The arrow vanished too."

"According to Monzaemon, that should only happen if the godly power disappeared." Agumon explained.

"Didn't Mimi say that Fate was in the snow? Does this mean that Fate has left the human world?" Piyomon wondered.

"She also said that Fate was possessing Monzaemon…" Sora said. "Then, Fate created a tool to allow others to find it and then just bailed out? It doesn't make any sense!"

"Maybe it's how deities prank mortals." Agumon theorized.

"Either way, it'd be nice if we didn't have to worry about that thing anymore, right, Sora?" Piyomon asked, cheerfully.

Sora nodded, but she still had a bad feeling.

The girl took the two digimon to have breakfast with her parents. Toshiko and Haruhiko were at the low table, looking into an old album of photos she had never seen before.

"Hey, I know those two!" Sora exclaimed from behind the couple, pointing at a photo that had a groom and a bride, next to two other people. "Those are Mr. and Mrs. Izumi, Koushiro-kun's parents! I didn't know you knew them."

"Then…" Haruhiko murmured to Toshiko, "… the warning Ame gave me in that dream…"

"Did something happen?" Sora asked, concerned.

Toshiko and Haruhiko exchanged anxious glances.

"We met them a few times… in a wedding… at a funeral…" The man whispered.

Sora noticed the placard next to the people in the photo, which read _Yukimura – Fuyokawa wedding_. She knew that Fuyokawa was her father's family name before he married her mother. The girl looked at the photo again, paying closer attention to the bride's bright red hair and luminous smile. Her bridal kimono was as white as snow.

"Is that aunt Ame?"

"I helped her to dress up that day." Toshiko reminisced. The woman invited Sora to sit; Piyomon and Agumon sat at the opposite side of the table.

"Ame was so happy…" Haruhiko murmured in a sorrowful voice. "This photo is from the day she married Yukimura Shunsui… unaware of the car crash that would…"

The man had to stop talking, but still let some tears escape his eyes.

"You don't have to talk if it's too difficult." Sora assured.

"It hurt so much to be reminded of her…" Haruhiko said. "I couldn't look at her photos without bawling… I couldn't stay… I couldn't take in… I ran away and let other people replace me in my duty to her…"

"Dad, it's okay! It's going to be okay now!" Sora tried to make him feel better.

"You don't understand…" Haruhiko contested. "Because of my broken heart, I did something unforgivable…"

"Sora, how is your friend Koushiro?" Toshiko asked.

"What?" The girl didn't understand what possible connection Koushiro had with what her father was going through, aside from his parents attending her aunt's wedding. Were Mr. and Mrs. Izumi her friends, perhaps?

"Is he a happy child? Do you get along well with him?" Toshiko asked in a soft voice.

"He had some issues, but I think he's better now." Sora replied. "He's a sweet kid that loves to learn new things and help people. Koushiro-kun helped me a lot in the Digital World… he's one of my closest friends."

"I'm glad." Haruhiko said, rubbing his eyes. "I'm really glad."

"He's very intelligent. You would like each other a lot, Dad. I could introduce him to you someday." Sora told her father, beaming.

At first, Haruhiko seemed fearful of the idea. But then a little smile made its way to his lips and he muttered:

"Someday… maybe…"

A few minutes later, loud knocks were heard at the door, as if the person at the other side was trying to bring it down. When Sora got there and opened it, Taichi was standing there, sweaty and trembling, wearing large brown pants and a beige sweatshirt that looked like what one would wear to sleep. His face was pale and had visible trails of tears. His cold hands held the girl by the arms as he pleaded in a weak voice:

"Sora… help me…"

* * *

Koushiro and Tentomon had accompanied Jyou and Gomamon to the park, where Mimi, Palmon and Picodevimon were already waiting for the reunion. Koushiro was wearing a gray shirt with long sleeves and black shorts; Jyou had dark brown shorts and a light blue shirt with short sleeves; Mimi had her pink hat and was wearing jeans shorts that almost reached her knees and a white shirt with straps that had flower drawings on it.

The park was empty, despite it being a warm summer morning. Mimi, Palmon and Picodevimon were sitting under the shade of a tree. The grass was still wet from the snow that had covered it the day before.

As soon as he saw her, Koushiro ran in her direction, stopping two steps in front of her. He bowed and profusely apologized for what had happened to the girl, her mother and Palmon, about which Jyou had informed him. Mimi was about to protest, but Koushiro hurried to tell her about the real nature of the Spirit of the World.

"When Wisemon said that a Koushiro from another universe had helped him to create Homeostasis… w-what he meant was not what we imagined. Wisemon murdered that other me… uploaded his consciousness to the machine… and that's what you know as Fate."

The boy explained everything, giving details about what had happened to him the night before. Mimi listened to everything in silence, increasingly paler and horrified. Palmon was so shocked that she could barely move. Picodevimon was so startled that he couldn't keep his mouth closed. Once Koushiro finished his narration, he expected the girl to say something. Mimi stood up, pulled the boy into a hug and cried quietly on his shoulder. Jyou hugged them both.

"The snow is gone. All of it…" Palmon commented. "Does this mean that he left this world?"

"Please, don't use a personal pronoun to that thing too." Gomamon sighed, crawling in her direction. Tentomon pointedly ignored him.

"Koushiro-han was looking through the open window when I woke up." The insect said. "He had this sad and lost look… he told me that… he felt as if a part of him had disappeared…"

"This is madness…" Picodevimon muttered, still taking the information in.

"There you are! I've finally found you!" A voice said from above. Wizarmon was hovering a couple of meters from them.

The children immediately broke the hug. Jyou assumed a fighting pose while Gomamon put himself in front of the boy.

"I won't let you get close to my partner!" Gomamon stated.

"I have no time to waste on you!" Wizarmon shouted. "I'm here for the boy with red hair!"

"What do you want from me?" Koushiro asked.

"You're the only one who can help me to find my friend." Wizarmon explained, landing in front of the children. "If you're still connected to the remains of the Spirit of the World, you can locate Hikari!"

"Hikari?!" The three children asked at the same time.

"Remains? W-What do you mean by that?" Tentomon asked, worried.

In that minute, Takeru, wearing a light green shirt with long sleeves and brown shorts and carrying Patamon, was heading towards the other children with Gabumon and Yamato, who was wearing a magenta shirt and jeans.

"Who is this digimon?" Takeru asked.

"Are you guys being threatened?" Yamato asked, clenching his fists.

Wizarmon swung his staff in a menacing way.

"I'm interested in Fate's proxy, don't force me to harm you!" He said.

"Did you seriously just call me a proxy?" Koushiro asked in an offended tone.

"Is that an insult?" Mimi wondered.

"I have no idea." Jyou replied.

"You talk with too much confidence." Palmon said. "Do you seriously think you can defeat all of us?"

Wizarmon observed her for a few seconds before answering:

"The strongest fairy, huh? I've heard stories about you." He said. "But you can't evolve to ultimate level yet. With my magic, I can take you down."

"I can't reach ultimate level either." Patamon told him. "Do you think you can handle me as well?"

Wizarmon took a glance at the little animal and froze. His eyes widened, his body shivered and some drops of sweat appeared on the mage's face.

"Bloody Lord…" He muttered, horrified.

"That's right." Patamon said. "So, do you want to talk or would you rather fight me?"

* * *

Taichi had woken up alone in his apartment. As he sat up, what had happened the night before came back to him. Taichi jumped to his feet and ran through the place, calling Hikari's name as loud as he could. But she wasn't there.

He put on his sneakers by the door, not bothering to change his clothes, and ran, not thinking in any place to go. All that occupied his mind was his sister.

 _"_ _You're a terrible brother, Onii-chan."_

He tried to be a good brother, especially after the incident. He tried to be better, to be always there for her… as if it could compensate for what he had done.

 _"_ _It's all because of you!"_

 _"_ _Mistake!"_

 _"_ _If something happens… if she dies, it'll be your fault!"_

Maybe, that was who he was. Who was he fooling to think he could be something else? To think that he could help anyone, that he could make anyone happy, that he could be needed? He was nothing but a sad little boy.

 _"_ _I don't need you for anything."_

He stopped in front of Sora's door, only then taking notice of the wetness on his face and the coldness of his body. He knocked, unable to say anything. When she opened, it took a while for Taichi to recover his voice, but he was able to ask for her help.

"Hikari said she was a chosen child! That she was going to save the Digital World!" Taichi said, his voice was getting louder after every word. "A cat came for her and became an angel and took her! I don't know where she is now! My sister… m-my sister…"

He began to cry, letting go of the girl. She gently pulled him to a hug, like she had done years before.

"We're going to see the others and figure something out together. It's going to be okay." Sora promised.

"What's going on, Sora?" A pink bird asked behind the girl, next to a yellow dinosaur.

"You have two new partners now…?" Taichi asked, almost inaudibly.

"This is Piyomon, Pyokomon's evolution." Sora explained.

"And I am Just-an-ordinary-" The dinosaur began to say, offering a hand to the boy.

"His name is Agumon!" Piyomon interrupted. "He's just staying here, but doesn't have any partner."

"Nice to meet you… I'm Taichi…" The boy said, reluctantly shaking the other's strange hand.

"I'm going to tell my parents and grab something for us to eat; then, we can go." Sora told him.

"Parents? The two of them?!" Taichi asked, shocked. He had never seen his friend's father before.

"Yeah… it's a long story." Sora said. "I'll tell you about it after we find Hikari-chan."

"Sure…" Taichi whispered, glancing down.

While the four of them headed to the park, a few people commented on how incredible the _costumes_ of two of those kids were. Piyomon didn't pay too much attention to it, but Agumon thanked the people with "excellent taste." Involuntarily, Taichi smiled over that. _He's a fun guy,_ he thought.

The boy explained better what had happened to his sister, to which Sora paid full attention. She had a concerned expression, but still tried to smile and soothe him. The girl had to force him to eat some of the onigiris she had brought along, saying that he couldn't help his sister if he didn't take care of himself first. Sora's kindness and thoughtfulness was comparable to Hikari's.

When they arrived at their destination, they found the other children and digimon sitting under a tree, bearing astonished expressions as Wizarmon talked to them, in the middle of the circle. Taichi's blood boiled when he saw the guy.

"WHERE IS MY SISTER?!" He questioned, ready to jump on the mage and punch him, but being stopped by Sora, Piyomon and Agumon, who held him back. Koushiro, next to a trembling and tearful Tentomon, stood up and went to him and Sora.

"About Hikari-san… about Fate…" Koushiro said as tears brimmed in his eyes. "I have a lot to explain to you."

* * *

While Koushiro was telling Sora, Taichi, Piyomon and Agumon what had happened, the others were interrogating Wizarmon a few meters away.

"Because of you Homura-san and the others died!" Jyou said, trembling in anger.

"You almost got my brother killed!" Yamato accused.

"Because of you, hundreds of digimon I knew were killed in that base!" Picodevimon affirmed. "Some of them were nice!"

"They wanted to murder us, though." Takeru pointed out.

"You have to remember that, for most digimon, human children are evil." Picodevimon contested.

"Everything I did was for the sake of my friend." Wizarmon defended himself. "I had no reason to be loyal to the humans who ruined my world and banished my Queen."

"Ofanimon is very dear to you, isn't she?" Patamon asked.

"I tried to be loyal to both her and Tailmon, I wanted them both to be safe and happy. Now, because of my foolishness, Tailmon will be the tool that will bring my Queen's death." Wizarmon lamented.

"Hikari-chan didn't seem like a bad person to me." Mimi said.

"That's right! This could all be a misunderstanding!" Jyou agreed. "We can talk her out of-"

"But if Ofanimon really wants to destroy the Digital World and this Hikari can stop her, shouldn't we let her do it? If she's a chosen child, she's our ally!" Takeru interrupted. After seeing the heartbroken expression on his partner's face, the boy added: "I'm not saying that she should kill Ofanimon, just stop her. If Hikari has Fate's power and really is a good person-"

"She killed Koushiro-han." Tentomon stated, capturing everybody's attention.

"Fate was a corrupted computer program, Tentomon." Gomamon affirmed.

"That creature did terrible things… it convinced me to…" Patamon muttered. "I'd rather not think of it as Koushiro."

"But Koushiro-han reached out to him!" Tentomon said. "He could've been saved!"

"After your partner's heart-to-heart conversation with that thing, Fate took advantage of my emotional vulnerability to manipulate me!" Palmon reminded the other. "There was nothing good in that thing, stop trying to see something else!"

"That just makes things easier for you all!" Tentomon accused. "I bet you're so damn relieved, thinking that you got rid of the _problem_ without dirtying your hands! But the _problem_ was my partner! He was brutalized, broken, driven to desperation! And just when I thought there was hope for him, he's murdered! Again! And you guys are happy about it!"

"We're not happy! Not at all!" Mimi denied. "What happened to the other Koushiro-kun was tragic, but it doesn't erase the bad things he did."

"Koushiro-kun wanted to make him stop suffering. He offered help, but it wasn't accepted by the other." Jyou said.

"From what I understood, this Fate guy has been messing with Taichi's sister's head since she was little, which is wrong on several levels!" Yamato gave his opinion. "What happened to him was the result of his actions."

"He brought about his own end…" Tentomon murmured, looking down.

"I don't really understand the implications of everything you guys are discussing. But I don't see much of a point to arguing about someone who is no longer here." Gabumon said.

"So I'm supposed to just get over it?! Is that what you're trying to say?!" Tentomon nearly snapped.

"Why are you so upset about Fate, anyway?!" Gomamon shouted. "It's not like you ever had a relationship with him!"

"Didn't he try to kill your partner at least three times?" Palmon asked.

"And that all happened yesterday…" Yamato muttered.

"None of you can understand!" Tentomon yelled. "If Fate had been any of your partners-"

"Jyou would never-" Gomamon began to say, but was interrupted.

"It could've happened to any of us!" Takeru stated. "If we were in that situation, if we were broken to that extent… who can tell what we would have done?"

They exchanged somber looks.

* * *

"Taichi-san, are you okay?" Koushiro asked in a concerned tone after finishing his narration.

"It's a lot for him to take in, Koushiro-kun." Sora said, looking from Taichi to him with sadness. "Everything that happened… you can't be alright."

"I guess the other me got peace in the end, although not in the way I wished…" Koushiro muttered, looking away. "He got rid of the _glitches_ and stopped _being_ … what he did to Hikari-san…"

"In his twisted way, he wanted to help his friends." Sora told him. "I don't know if it's any consolation, but it was your heart that stopped him from doing worse things."

"Like that Sora clone that froze me and attacked Koushiro in the orb." Piyomon commented. "She also thought she was helping…"

"I wish we could be similar in less depressing ways." Koushiro said, smiling sadly.

Taichi observed them quietly. They talked freely, as if they had forgotten he was there, and even referenced things Taichi hadn't been told about. He couldn't think of anything to tell Koushiro after hearing his story, but Sora just had to say a few things to make the younger boy relax.

"So… Hikari had been talking to another Koushiro since she was little and never told me about it." Taichi said, earning their attention. "The guy that killed you in other universes and tried to do it again here was my sister's closest friend… and then she killed him, took his powers and now wants to be a heroine…?"

"I'm sure Hikari-chan thinks she's doing the right thing." Sora told him.

"I can't really blame her for what she did to Fate…" Koushiro murmured.

"No wonder she called me a terrible brother and told me she didn't need me for anything." Taichi said, smirking, trying to fight the tears from coming to his eyes. "I didn't notice anything. It was happening under my nose, my sister was in trouble, and I didn't notice it!"

"Taichi, we haven't noticed anything either." Sora told him. "Hikari-chan is very closed off."

"I doubt anyone could guess what was going on with her." Koushiro commented.

"But I had to have noticed! I had to have figured it out! I'm her big brother!" Taichi shouted, giving in to the tears. "I was always with her, taking care of her! I played with her, I gave her advice! I did everything I could think of to make her happy! To make her know that she could always count on me! But she didn't! Everything I did was for nothing!"

"It's not your fault, Taichi!" Sora stated. "You were always kind and sweet to her! Overprotective even! Hikari-chan must know that!"

"Take in consideration what she had just gone through. Hikari-san wasn't in her best emotional state; she must've told you those things without meaning to!" Koushiro said.

"She was angry at me! I must've given her a reason to be angry! I did give her… I did something awful…" Taichi contested.

"Taichi, you can't put yourself down like that!" Sora told him. "When you took her out to play when she was sick… you were just a kid! You didn't know what was going to happen!"

"You're one of the kindest people I've ever met in my life, Taichi-san!"Koushiro let him know. "There's no doubt that you're a loving brother!"

"What did you say to her before her outburst, anyway?" Agumon inquired, taking Taichi and the others by surprise.

"How is this relevant? She was clearly upset because of what the other me-" Koushiro began to say.

"Something specific and recent angered her in that moment. If we figure out what it was, it's simpler to solve the problem." Agumon interrupted. "Other than that, the more details we have about the situation, the better we can understand it. Besides, it's more productive to do that than to keep this 'it's not your fault, don't feel bad' routine."

"That's… actually a good idea." Piyomon said, not fully believing that Agumon was able to say something that intelligent.

"What I said to her… let's see… I…" Taichi tried to remember. "I told her she couldn't go to the Digital World without me, because she'd be in danger and I had to protect her and… I… I said she couldn't do that to me…"

The former night, saying that felt completely ordinary for him. However, Taichi could now feel the harshness in his own words and understand his sister's response to them.

 _"_ _This is happening to_ _ **you**_ _?!"_

Why did he have to phrase it like that? He was worried about Hikari's well-being, wasn't he? Just like he had been worried about Sora and Koushiro alone in the Digital World! He cared for them and was only thinking of them! Taichi simply wanted to be a good brother and friend! But if that was the case, why was he framing the situation that way?

 _"_ _I was like a bridge to them and now it's like they're leaving me behind… as if they didn't need me anymore…"_

 _"_ _You can't just all abandon me like this, as if I didn't matter, you can't… what am I going to do without you…?"_

More of his words resurfaced in his mind. They sounded so horrid. What part of that was something an actual good friend and brother would say? Sora and Koushiro had suffered several hardships; his sister was heading towards a dangerous world. Why was Taichi putting himself as the victim in all that? Why did it seem like the biggest issue wasn't what his loved ones were going through, but instead how what they were going through affected him?

"That sounded kind of self-centered." Agumon said.

 _Self-centered…_ Taichi remembered that had been what Mimi had called him the day before, when he was trying to make Sora and Koushiro tell more details about what had happened to them. He was being forceful, inconsiderate, but it was because he was worried! Sora understood that! She knew he only had good intentions!

"Don't call him that!" Sora reprehended Agumon. "Taichi is always trying to help people! He stands up for them and cheers them up! He doesn't have one selfish bone in his body!"

"That's right!" Koushiro agreed. "In the soccer club, he treated everybody equally! He went out of his way to make me feel comfortable and integrated to the team, he even trained with me sometimes! And it wasn't just in the club! He sought me and was always so kind to me! He invited me to the summer camp, and he didn't have to do that because he already had so many friends to keep him company!"

 _I did those things! That means I'm a good person, right?!_ Taichi thought, feeling his heart racing. A good person… he wanted to be that so badly. If he wasn't that, what was he? His parents' mistake? The neglectful brother that almost killed the person he loved most in the world? Taichi wanted to be good, to make others happy, that made him feel better about himself.

His heart skipped a beat when the conclusion came to his mind.

"I… wanted validation…" Taichi murmured.

"What?" Koushiro asked. Both he and Sora looked at the other boy with concern.

"I wanted to be good for people, to feel that I could do something right… to feel that I mattered to someone…" Taichi said, letting a few tears roll down. "When you guys came back, I could tell how much closer you had grown… I thought I was just worried about you guys, but I think I was actually feeling threatened because you didn't need me anymore. And then, Hikari turned out to be a chosen child too and I thought I was going to lose her as well… I was afraid…"

"Taichi, you didn't lose us." Sora told him, reaching out to grab his hands. "You'll never stop being our friend!"

"In the Digital World, we wished you could be there with us. We were lost without you." Koushiro said, approaching the boy as well.

"I had to be their leader and that made me so anxious. I kept thinking that things would've been so much easier if you were there... it was scary…" Sora confessed. "I made so many mistakes… I endangered Koushiro-kun and got trapped in a prison that fed on my guilt…"

"Sora…" Taichi muttered, feeling terrible at seeing her sad face. "I-I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to… I shouldn't be talking about myself when you had it so much worse."

"It's important to be honest about your feelings, Taichi-san. Especially the negative ones. Otherwise, they eat you from the inside and make you perceive reality in a distorted way." Koushiro said, placing his hands on Taichi's and Sora's. "Sora-san and I have gone through that. We never suspected that you could be like that too. You seemed like such a happy person, always smiling…"

"And despite you being an extrovert, it was hard to make you talk about what bothered you." Sora continued. "You didn't want us to worry about you."

"I think the three of us have that trait in common. It can be very destructive." Koushiro commented.

"Hikari used to smile all the time and never complain…" Taichi muttered. He thought those were qualities and admired his sister for having them. But maybe she was forcing herself to be like that because he acted the same way. Maybe, she also had self-doubt and a poor vision of herself, and wanted to feel validation.

"You two are very alike." Sora said, smiling. "If you two talked honestly, you would understand each other very well."

"Yeah…" Taichi agreed, showing his friends a little smile. They kept holding hands for a moment, until Koushiro remembered:

"Wizarmon mentioned that I could help him to locate Hikari-san. I should go and ask him about it."

"I'll go with you." Sora said, before accompanying him along with Piyomon.

Alone with the lizard monster, Taichi told him:

"You helped me a lot. Thank you, Agumon."

"It's okay, Taichi." The digimon said. "But I need to tell you something really important."

"What is it?"

"You should call me Just-an-ordinary-orange-hat-Agumon."

One minute of silence went by before Taichi replied:

"No."

* * *

Reunited with everybody, Wizarmon told them that his idea was to use his psychic powers to connect Koushiro's mind to whatever had remained of Fate. But the plan wasn't well-accepted.

"He died. There's no guarantee that I'd get linked to anything." Koushiro pointed out. "And even if I were, I could be trapped there or worse."

"It's definitely not worth the risk!" Tentomon stated.

"That guy can't be trusted lurking in anyone's mind!" Jyou said, looking disapprovingly at Wizarmon.

"That's right!" Gomamon agreed.

"Not to mention that he hasn't done much to earn our trust in any way." Takeru pointed out.

"It's the only plan I have." Wizarmon said, annoyed.

"Hikari-san wants to go to the Digital World. Is there any way to predict where she can open a gate?" Koushiro asked.

"Gates are usually opened in weak points of the space-time continuum." Wizarmon answered. "It demands a lot of time and energy to open one."

"Unless she uses a gate that had been previously opened but not completely sealed." Picodevimon said.

"Like the one in the camp, maybe?" Sora asked. "But it's going to take hours for us to get there…"

"There's a closer one on the little island where Vamdemon brought his tower." Picodevimon informed.

"Let's go there, then!" Taichi decided.

"But what are we going to do once we get there?" Mimi wanted to know.

"Can we even fight someone that has the powers of the Spirit of the World now?" Takeru was worried.

"Nobody is going to fight her!" Taichi forbade. "I want to talk to her and sort things out."

"What's our objective after she's talked to?" Patamon inquired.

"She's one of us and very powerful. She can open the gate and let us all go to the Digital World together." Takeru said.

"We have to go back already…" Mimi muttered.

"We left things unresolved there." Palmon told her partner. "Without the Academy around, who knows what the Sanctuary is up to?"

"I came here to ask for your help in taking back the Village of the Beginnings." Gabumon said. "We need to return to File Island!"

"The Queen has some ominous plan called 'Salvation.' I don't know what it is, but Vamdemon was afraid of that." Picodevimon let them know.

"She might really want to destroy the world, then." Piyomon murmured.

"Ofanimon made many sacrifices for the sake of the Digital World. I don't believe for one second that she would want to destroy it." Wizarmon contested.

"But we still have to return to the Digital World to find out." Sora said.

Somber but resigned looks were visible on the faces of the chosen children.

"Do you really have to go, Takeru?" Yamato asked, fearful.

"Sora-san and the others will be there with me, don't worry." Takeru tried to reassure his brother. Yamato glanced at Sora and saw her smiling encouragingly at him.

"I promise I'll look out for him, Yamato-kun." She told him.

"I know you will." He replied. "Thank you, Sora."

"You and Sora better take care of each other too, okay?" Taichi told Koushiro, approaching the boy. "And you both take care of Hikari."

"We won't let you down, Taichi-san." Koushiro vowed, smiling at him.

"Before we go, we should pick stuff we'll need, like food and empty plastic containers." Jyou said.

"What are the containers for?" Mimi asked.

"So we can carry the healing water if we find that magical lake again, of course!" Jyou replied. "It's been months and I'm still mad that Sora-kun and Koushiro-kun didn't bring any of that water along!"

"Actually, it's been only a few days." Gomamon pointed out.

"It feels like a life-time, though." Mimi sighed.

"But it's going to be over soon." Sora said, looking at the clear sky. The east wind messed her hair and brought tears to her eyes, but she didn't close them. She could feel it in her soul that something huge was about to happen.

It had started. The beginning of the end.

 **It's probably not very relevant, but Koushiro thought that Wizarmon had called him a proxy server, which is a computer network service that allows clients to make indirect network connections to other network services.**


End file.
